To Hell and Back
by ApprenticeTrashmen
Summary: 8 months after the final battle with Terumi, Ragna finds himself in a world where he no longer exists, and no one seems to remember him in the slightest. When he stumbles upon an ambiguous grave that holds both his sword and Rachel's ribbon, Ragna grows anxious over the safety of his dearest friend, and ventures out to find her. (WARNING: Spoilers for Cental Fiction)
1. Life Goes On

**I do not own Blazblue.**

 **In the interest of full discretion, the chapter only took so long because I screwed up and Murder Media had to help me a lot. So if you enjoy the chapter they deserve just as much thanks as I do. Also, again, if you want quality Ragna x Rachel fics (and don't mind perversion), go check them out.**

* * *

Rachel tossed and turned under the satin blankets of her plush mattress as she attempted to get some rest, her hair sticking out from all sides of her head because of her constant movement and her sheets tossed at all sides of her bed as a result of her kicking legs. The vampire groaned and flopped inelegantly on her back in frustration, a weary, exasperated sigh passing her full lips as she furrowed her brow and placed the back of her hand on her head. Another dream—the fuzzy, jumbled pieces of so-called "memory" that has been plaguing her thoughts for nearly an entire year now—had successfully jostled her out of her sleep once more. These dreams almost always featured "him"in some way, this tall, imposing figure with no definite face, appearance, or shape. He was merely a distant relic, a blurry silhouette many times larger than her who conversed with her, argued with her, and even fought beside her.

It irked her to no end, the fact that she felt so close and so intimate with this strange man and yet felt so estranged and distant from him. She longed to hear his voice and to see his face in her sleep, to see if they were merely close companions or devoted lovers. She desperately craved for the answers that would be able to help her solve the mystery of the mystery man, to tell whether he truly existed or was just a figment of her own overactive imagination.

Truly it wasn't a foolish bluster on her part... Correct?

The lids of Rachel's eyes fell over her garnet orbs when the mere thought of him being a trick of her senses crossed her mind. Lord help her if all this worrying of her's was all for not, and that all of her anxiety was caused by some ambiguous, phantasmagorical figure that existed only in her dreams, but she knew better—she had proof that this man was real. That he was indeed a warrior that once walked this Earth.

That sword.

The same sword that had been mounted into the dirt of that hill for the past eight months or so.

The same sword that she found planted into that dry patch of infertile soil.

The same sword that served as her only link to him.

She has taken up the habit of visiting that chipped up thing almost every night now, her will and determination restored if only a little whenever she gazed upon its queer design and arbitrary features. Despite her eight months of searching for the man and having nothing to show for it, she would always come back to it just to regain the hope that she will find its owner one day. As long as no one is to tamper with it, whether it'd be someone as insignificant as a thief or someone as annoying as the Yayoi girl, that blade will give her reason to search for him.

"Ugh..." Rachel rubbed her eyes with a balled fist as she tossed her blanket aside. Might as well get up if her body was not going to give her the rest she needed. She stretched out her stiff limbs and looked up at the clock that hung against one of the walls of her rooms and began to read the time.

It was only a quarter past five.

She grimaced as she rose from her position on her mattress to climb out of bed, her feet setting on the floor while her hand ran through her unkempt locks. This was not the first time she's ever woken up this ridiculously early before, and it always followed the same pattern—she would wake up at some ungodly hour, stay up for about half of the day before falling asleep in some random area of the castle or some absurd location on Earth like a coffee shop or an abandoned forest and eventually wake up by late afternoon. Nothing had ever been so irritating and drastically messed with her sleep schedule, but she guessed there was no helping it until she either gets over finding this "man" or take some sort of medication to control it.

Rachel sighed a tired sigh as she sauntered towards her armoire, the young woman opening both doors lazily once she was close and proceeding to look for a decent enough outfit to wear for today. She gave the contents of the closet no more than a few quick glances, however—she lacking the energy to sort through each individual dress and blouse that she had in store, and decided to just grab a few clothes at random that were fitting for the season. She then slammed the doors of the armoire shut with a little more force than usual when she got what she wanted, and held whatever she picked out over her body. It was nothing special—just a grey turtleneck, a black skirt and matching leggings that would give her proper protection from the elements outside.

"It's better than nothing, I suppose..." Rachel mumbled to herself as she made her way to the bathroom with clothes in hand. A shower should be able to clear her mind and perhaps ease her stress if nothing else—all this running around combined with her new, less than spectacular sleeping habits was putting a strain on her mental state anyway, so it'd be for the best. She made her way inside the lavatory and closed the door before hanging her clothes on the knob and walking to the large porcelain tub that sat in the middle of the room to turn on the shower. She let the water warm up a tad and tried stripping out of her nightgown, but stopped doing so to peer down at the evening wear.

This particular gown happened to be one of her favorites since it was so comfortable, but it wasn't the least bit modest compared to what she usually wore. It was black, small and complimented her figure quite well—the skin of her breasts exposed from all angles while the frock barely, if at all, covered her large thighs and shapely bottom. Still, aside from it looking particularly good on her, she felt somewhat embarrassed when she wore it sometimes. It wasn't like she hated how her body looked in it or anything, but she felt as though someone outside of the castle has seen her in it before despite how no one, not even Valkenhayn, Nago or Gii, has ever bore witness of it her in it before.

Rachel mulled over the possibility of what soul could have seen her in such attire. It was a silly thought, but she didn't actually leave the castle wearing this thing and nothing else one day...right?

"Preposterous." She suddenly blurted. "This lack of sleep is likely messing with my common sense..." She shook her head of the image of her standing in the middle of nowhere in something so libidinous before shrugging off the straps of the nightgown to take it off.

She stepped into the shower and let the hot water wash over her and sooth her weary body. It was astounding what the toll all of this was beginning to take on her mental state. She had originally planned to venture back out into the world once more to check the sword as well as continue her search, but it was starting to occur to Rachel that might not be the wisest choice she could make given her current condition.

Running ragged like this will never yield any results, Rachel told herself. It would be for the best if she actually stayed in for the morning, if nothing else, to sit down for a change and enjoy a meal for once.

Doing her best to remain positive, Rachel took one last second to savor the heat of the shower before turning off the water to step outside and dry herself off with a hanging towel. Such a process was always made a tad tedious because of her hair, but soon enough she was done and reached out for her clothes to put on. As soon as she is done dressing, she'd look for Valkenhayn to prepare her breakfast for the day so she could hopefully get some proper food in her stomach, and have a more pleasant day than the ones she had weeks prior.

After combing through her hair and freshening up her clothes, Rachel ventured out of her room and headed towards the dining hall, her ears picking up the sound of pans clinking together under a steady stream of running water from the main kitchen along the way. Valkenhayn was exactly where she thought he would be—in the kitchen preparing all the food and supplies he would need to use for the day. He was always so meticulous that way, Rachel thought gratefully, a trait of his that she truly grew to appreciate over the years.

She wandered by the kitchen door with the intent of silently notifying Valkenhayn of her presence, and could feel his eyes on her soon after when she did so.

"Hm?" Valkenhayn peered over his shoulder and raised his brow. "Madame Rachel? Heavens, what are you doing up so early?"

"It's of no consequence, Valkenhayn." Rachel explained. "I was unable to fall asleep so I decided to begin my day earlier than usual. Simple as that." She frowned. "Would you be so kind as to prepare breakfast for me?"

"But of course, Madame. Is there anything in particular that you fancy?"

Rachel thought it over a moment, but shook her head. "No... I will trust your judgement and let you decide." She turned her back to him and proceeded to walk away. "Please have my meal brought up to my study. I have work that needs to be done."

Valkenhayn stared at his mistress pensively for a moment, but decided against commenting on her behavior out of respect. He's been well aware of her constant obsession with the sword that she had place on that hill in memory of that unknown man, so it was best to leave her be than to stir up any stress she was feeling. "As you wish, Madame." He said. "I shall have it upstairs posthaste."

"Thank you." Rachel finally left the the kitchen to let Valkenhayn work it peace, and set a brisk pace towards her office. Busying herself with a simple, menial task might be just the thing she needed to take her mind off of her latest obsession. Typically matters pertaining to the Alucard clan were never anywhere near the top of her list of priorities—dealing with Terumi and his ilk were always far more pressing after all—but she did believe in part that it would give her something to do once the battle was over. But even if it was because of that sword or not, Rachel still found the work exceedingly dull.

Striding through the door of her office, Rachel made for her desk and sat down before lighting the oil lamp that was left in the corner. She regarded the relatively sizable stack of paperwork that she had neglected for some time now briefly before huffing through her nose and placing her glasses on her nose to begin her work. For nearly half an hour the vampire sat there, writing and signing off documents and reading a few more as she attempted to keep her mind preoccupied, but soon found herself distracted once more by her obsession.

No matter how much she told herself to concentrate, Rachel kept fidgeting with her pen, tapping her foot on the floor and chewing on her lip. She could barely pay attention to what she was reading and could feel her annoyance already form a migraine in her head as well as a hint of sadness settle in her chest. Not visiting the memorial was killing her on the inside, and she felt driven to check on it just to reassure herself that he's somewhere out there in the world, that he existed and that she wasn't actually going insane from dementia.

Her visits were more of an addiction than habitual.

"Madame Rachel…?"

Rachel took a shaking breath as she removed her spectacles and placed them on her desk, her brows knitted together and palms moist from the anxiety that churned about in her stomach. She looked at Valkenhayn from the corner of her eye and then at the tray of tea and various slices of bread and seasoned meat that were on the plate. Rachel was so absorbed in thought she didn't even realize that Valkenhayn had entered the study and placed a tray of food next to her. She suddenly rose from her seat at the desk and gave her butler an unnerved look, her mouth ajar and legs quickly leading her out of the room of the study.

"I need to go." She said sharply. "I apologize, Valkenhayn, but please keep my plate warm until I return. I will not take long…"

Valkenhayn did not even have a chance to question the vampire queen's request, Rachel's small form quickly rushing past him in a gust of sweet smelling wind before disappearing into black mist, she vanishing completely from the werewolf's sight once the fog settled. Valkenhayn shook his head dishearteningly so as he picked the up the tray that held her food and ushered himself out of the humble little office.

"Please take care of yourself, Mistress..." He said wearily.

* * *

Rachel reappeared on the hill that held that confounded sword, her fists clenched and heart beating rapidly. It was the one place where her mind at the very least would focus—the only place where she could feel close to him. Even when she was busying herself with her search, Rachel made a point to return to the memorial she created for him because perhaps just once being in its presence would shake some memories loose. Even though she has yet to have any such luck, she continued to try all the same.

Rachel approached the top of the hill, expecting the familiar sight of the sword to calm her mind, but the view she was met with made her heart drop.

"What... What is the meaning of this?!"

She ran to the top of the hill and fell down to her knees, never minding the dirt that was getting on her clothing. Before her was not the familiar weapon she had visited so many times prior, but a mere hole in the ground where it was meant to be.

"No... It can't be gone..."

Leaping from her spot on the ground, Rachel ran to the edge of the hill and frantically scanned the horizon for any sign of the sword or whoever might have stolen it, but she saw nothing. Thoughts began running through her mind as she desperately tried to make sense of the situation. She was in the middle of nowhere and during all of her visits she never saw any sign of humans in the area. Had some petty thief come through and pilfered the sword, and if so, when? It had only been a mere few days since she last paid a visit.

Not about to be deterred, Rachel took to the sky praying that a bird's eye view would yield better results, yet even from a greater vantage point, as well as giving the surrounding area a thorough once over, Rachel still saw nothing. The panic that set in her heart now developed into full blown fear. Very few things in this world had the power to so much as disrupt Rachel's composure, but the prospect of losing her last connection to the man she held so dear shook her to her very core. And yet…

Was there a chance that it could possibly be him?

Regardless of who took it, they had no right to do so as far as Rachel was concerned. Whoever the culprit was, they stole from her and defaced her cherished companion's grave, and she would not let them get away with such an act. Should it be the mystery man himself, or someone who could possibly offer her a clue, they would be forgiven. However, if it was some petty bandit who thought they got lucky, they would experience her full wrath.

With another quick teleportation, Rachel found herself in one of the many foyers of her manor where she spied Valkenhayn tidying up.

"Valkenhayn."

"Ah, Madame Rachel, welcome home." The old werewolf greeted. "I will need but a moment to have your breakfast—"

"Never mind that! There are far more dire matters at hand." Rachel shouted, leaving Valkenhayn rather taken aback. It was a very rare thing for his mistress to raise her voice in such a way. Despite his obvious concern, Rachel carried on unabated. "It's that blasted sword—that same sword that has continued to vex me for months on end. I know not who, nor how, nor why, but someone has stolen it right out from under my nose and I will not stand for it! I want you and those pests I call servants to begin searching for it immediately. I do not care how long it may take, but I need that sword, Valkenhayn! I cannot lose—"

"Madame, please!" Valkenhayn barked out abruptly. The interruption left Rachel completely silent, and allowed her to realize she was completely out of breath. Valkenhayn bowed to the vampire once he saw she had relaxed slightly. "I deeply apologize for raising my voice at you in such a manner, but if I might be so bold as to suggest you might be able to benefit from taking a seat and catching your breath."

"I... Yes. I think I will." Rachel did her best to retain her composure as she dropped down on the nearest sofa to her.

"Now, if I may make a request of you, Milady, could you please repeat what you said in a slow and calm manner? Only once you feel adequately prepared, of course."

Rachel glanced at Valkenhayn and nodded as she took a series of deep breaths.

"Thank you, Valkenhayn," Rachel began. "This is in regards to that sword I've told you about. When I departed not long ago it was to see it once more, but when I arrived it was gone. I combed the area as well as I could, but I was unable to find any sign of the perpetrator. I cannot lose that sword, Valkenhayn. It is the only connection I have left in this world to that man. I…I simply do not know what I would do if it were lost to me."

Valkenhayn listened intently to his mistress' woes as he did his best to process the situation as well. He had never seen Rachel in such distress before and it was alarming to say the least. The thought that monsters like Terumi could never faze her but this sword could was baffling. Though his feelings weren't the issue at hand—Lady Rachel required him in her time of need.

"I swear to you, Madame Rachel, I will not rest until this weapon has been returned to your care. Would it be possible for you to describe it to me? Is there perhaps any existing picture of it for me to go by?"

There was no such picture as far as she knew, but her memory was good enough that she'd be able to provide her butler with an alternative.

"Fetch me a pen and paper."

"I beg your pardon, Madame?"

"Fetch me a pen and paper…" Rachel repeated hoarsely.

"R-Right…" Valkenhayn hurried off into some random part of the room to retrieve some writing utensils before coming back to his place by Rachel's side to hand the items over to her. "Will this suffice?"

"Yes." Rachel took the stationary from his grasp, placed the paper on a nearby coffee table, and brought the pen to its surface. She made light and feathery lines along the paper's surface, her wrist and fingers moving together in delicate synchronicity as she tried piecing together the complex design of the sword in question from her memory onto the scrap of paper in front of her. Valkenhayn looked on curiously at his mistress' sketch, his brow arched inquisitively when the vampire finished her drawing and presented it to him.

"This…" She began. "This is what it looks like."

"And this is a sword you say?".

Rachel nodded curtly. "The design may look rather odd, I know, but I assure you that it is one." She stated. "It is as large as I am tall, with its features red in color. It has also suffered a great deal of battle damage from what I could tell."

Valkenhayn looked the image over several times to assure it was ingrained in his memory before handing it back to Rachel.

"As I stated before, I vow to do everything in my power to see that the sword is returned to you, Madame. The bumbling pair may not be good for much, but I shall recruit Nago and Gii as well for at least they each have a working set of eyes."

"Thank you, Valkenhayn." She stated. "Please do not hesitate to contact me should you find it, and be sure to restrain any persons you find with it in their possession." Rachel commanded. "There is no need to harm them...excessively, at any rate. But I will be needing to speak with them. You may leave."

"Yes, Madame Rachel." With a final bow, Valkenhayn took off down a corridor and left Rachel alone with her thoughts.

Now alone, Rachel hugged the picture to her chest and glanced out the window of her manor. A strange sort of nostalgia washed over her as she stared up at the full moon that hung over the eternal darkness of the sky, and knew that she could never forgive herself if she ever lost all recollection of this man.

"Please come back to me..." She whispered sullenly.

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 **We hope you enjoyed reading, leave a review if you want.**


	2. Each Day

**I do not own Blazblue.**

 **In the interest of full discretion, the chapter only took so long because I screwed up and Murder Media had to help me a lot. So if you enjoy the chapter they deserve just as much thanks as I do. Also, again, if you want quality Ragna x Rachel fics (and don't mind perversion), go check them out.**

* * *

Rachel tossed and turned under the satin blankets of her plush mattress as she attempted to get some rest, her hair sticking out from all sides of her head because of her constant movement and her sheets tossed at all sides of her bed as a result of her kicking legs. The vampire groaned and flopped inelegantly on her back in frustration, a weary, exasperated sigh passing her full lips as she furrowed her brow and placed the back of her hand on her head. Another dream—the fuzzy, jumbled pieces of so-called "memory" that has been plaguing her thoughts for nearly an entire year now—had successfully jostled her out of her sleep once more. These dreams almost always featured "him"in some way, this tall, imposing figure with no definite face, appearance, or shape. He was merely a distant relic, a blurry silhouette many times larger than her who conversed with her, argued with her, and even fought beside her.

It irked her to know end, the fact that she felt so close and so intimate with this strange man and yet felt so estranged and distant from him. She longed to hear his voice and to see his face in her sleep, to see if they were merely close companions or devoted lovers. She desperately craved for the answers that would be able to help her solve the mystery of the strange man, to tell whether he truly existed or was just a figment of her own overactive imagination.

Truly it wasn't a foolish bluster on her part... Correct?

The lids of Rachel's eyes fell over her garnet orbs when the mere thought of him being a trick of her senses crossed her mind. Lord help her if all this worrying of her's was all for not, and that all of her anxiety was caused by some ambiguous, phantasmagorical figure that existed only in her dreams, but she knew better—she had proof that this man was real. That he was indeed a warrior that once walked this Earth.

That sword.

The same sword that had been mounted into the dirt of that hill for the past eight months or so.

The same sword that she found planted into that dry patch of infertile soil.

The same sword that acted as her only link to him.

She has taken up the habit of visiting that chipped up thing almost every night now, her will and determination restored if only a little whenever she gazed upon its queer design and arbitrary features. Despite her eight months of searching for the man and having nothing to show for it, she would always come back to it just to regain the hope that she will find its owner one day. As long as no one is to tamper with it, whether it'd be someone as insignificant as a thief or someone as annoying as the Yayoi girl, that blade will give her reason to search for him.

"Ugh..." Rachel rubbed her eyes with a balled fist as she tossed her blanket aside. Might as well get up if her body was not going to give her the rest she needed. She stretched out her stiff limbs and looked up at the clock that hung against one of the walls of her rooms and began to read the time.

It was only a quarter past five.

She grimaced as she rose from her position on her mattress to climb out of her bed, her feet setting on the floor while her hand ran through her unkempt locks. This was not the first time she's ever woken up this ridiculously early before, and it always followed the same pattern—she would wake up at some ungodly hour, stay up for about half of the day before falling asleep in some random area of the castle or some absurd location on Earth like a coffee shop or an abandoned forest and eventually wake up by late afternoon. It irked her to no end and drastically messed with her sleep schedule, but she guessed there was no helping it until she either gets over finding this "man" or take some sort of medication to control it.

Rachel sighed a tired sigh as she sauntered towards her armoire, the young woman opening both doors lazily once she was close and proceeding to look for a decent enough outfit to wear for today. She gave the contents of the closet no more than a few quick glances, however—she lacking the energy to sort through each individual dress and blouse that she had in store, and decided to just grab a few clothes at random that were fitting for the season. She then slammed the doors of the armoire shut with a little more force than usual when she got what she wanted, and held whatever she picked out over her body. It was nothing special—just a grey turtleneck, a black skirt and matching leggings that would give her proper protection from the elements outside.

"It's better than nothing, I suppose..." Rachel mumbled to herself as she made her way to the bathroom with clothes in hand. A shower should be able to clear her mind and perhaps ease her stress if nothing else—all this running around combined with her new, less than spectacular sleeping habits was putting a strain on her mental state anyway, so it'd be for the best. She made her way inside the lavatory and closed the door before hanging her clothes on the knob and walking to the large porcelain tub that sat in the middle of the room to turn on the shower. She let the water warm up a tad and tried stripping out of her nightgown, but stopped doing so to peer down at the evening wear.

This particular gown happened to be one of her favorites since it was so comfortable, but it wasn't the least bit modest compared to what she usually wore. It was black, small and complimented her figure quite well—the skin of her breasts exposed from all angles while the frock barely, if at all, covered her large thighs and shapely bottom. Still, aside from it looking particularly good on her, she felt somewhat embarrassed when she wore it sometimes. It wasn't like she hated how her body looked in it or anything, but she felt as though someone outside of the castle has seen her in it before despite how no one, not even Valkenhayn, Nago or Gii, has ever bore witness of it her in it before.

Rachel mulled over the possibility of what soul could have seen her in such attire. It was a silly thought, but she didn't actually leave the castle wearing this thing alone one day...right?

"Preposterous." She suddenly blurted. "This lack of sleep is likely messing with my common sense..." She shook her head of the image of her standing in the middle of nowhere in something so libidinous before shrugging off the straps of the nightgown to take it off.

She stepped into the shower and let the hot water wash over her and sooth her weary body. It was astounding what the toll all of this was beginning to take on her mental state. She had originally planned to venture back out into the world once more to check the sword as well as continue her search, but it was starting to occur to Rachel that might not be the wisest choice she could make given her current condition.

Running ragged like this will never yield any results, Rachel told herself. It would be for the best if she actually stayed in for the morning, if nothing else, to sit down for a change and enjoy a meal for once.

Doing her best to remain positive, Rachel took one last second to savor the heat of the shower before turning off the water to step outside and dry herself off with a hanging towel. Such a process was always made a tad tedious because of her hair, but soon enough she was done and reached out for her clothes to put on. As soon as she is done dressing, she'd look for Valkenhayn to prepare her breakfast for the day so she could hopefully get some proper food in her stomach, and have a more pleasant day than the ones she had weeks prior.

After combing through her hair and freshening up her clothes, Rachel ventured out of her room and headed towards the dining hall, her ears picking up the sound of pans clinking together under a steady stream of running water from the main kitchen along the way. Valkenhayn was exactly where she thought he would be—in the kitchen preparing all the food and supplies he would need to use for the day. He was always so meticulous that way, Rachel thought gratefully, a trait of his that she truly grew to appreciate over the years.

She wandered by the kitchen door with the intent of silently notifying Valkenhayn of her presence, and could feel his eyes on her soon after when she did so.

"Hm?" Valkenhayn peered over his shoulder and raised his brow. "Madame Rachel? Heavens, what are you doing up so early?"

"It's of no big deal, Valkenhayn." Rachel explained. "I was unable to fall asleep so I decided to begin my day earlier than usual. Simple as that." She frowned. "Would you be so kind as to prepare breakfast for me?"

"But of course, Madame. Is there anything in particular that you fancy?"

Rachel thought it over a moment, but shook her head. "No... I will trust your judgement and let you decide." She turned her back to him and proceeded to walk away. "Please have my meal brought up to my study. I have work that needs to be done..."

Valkenhayn stared at his mistress pensively for a moment, but decided against commenting on her behavior out of respect. He's been well aware of her constant obsession with the sword that she had place on that hill in memory of that strange man, so it was best to leave her be than to stir up any stress she was feeling. "As you wish, Madame." He said. "I shall have it upstairs posthaste."

"Thank you..." Rachel finally left the the kitchen to let Valkenhayn work it peace, and set a brisk pace towards her office. Busying herself with a simple, menial task might be just the thing she needed to take her mind off of her latest obsession. Typically matters pertaining to the Alucard clan were never anywhere near the top of her list of priorities—dealing with Terumi and his ilk were always far more pressing after all—but she did believe in part that it would give her something to do once the battle was over. But even if it was because of that sword or not, Rachel still found the work exceedingly dull.

Striding through the door of her office, Rachel made for her desk and sat down before lighting the oil lamp that was left in the corner. She regarded the relatively sizable stack of paperwork that she had neglected for some time now briefly before huffing through her nose and placing her glasses on her nose to begin her work. For nearly half an hour the vampire sat there, writing and signing off documents and reading a few more as she attempted to keep her mind preoccupied, but soon found herself distracted once more by her obsession.

No matter how much she told herself to concentrate, Rachel kept fidgeting with her pen, tapping her foot on the floor and chewing on her lip. She could barely pay attention to what she was reading and could feel her annoyance already form a migraine in her head as well as a hint of sadness settle in her chest. Not visiting the memorial was killing her on the inside, and she felt driven to check on it just to reassure herself that he's somewhere out there in the world, that he existed and that she wasn't actually going insane from dementia.

Her visits were more of an addiction than habitual.

"M-Madame Rachel…?"

Rachel took a shaking breath as she removed her spectacles and placed them on her desk, her brows knitted together and palms moist from the anxiety that churned about in her stomach. She looked at Valkenhayn from the corner of her eye and then at the tray of tea and various slices of bread and seasoned meat that were on the plate. Rachel was so absorbed in thought she didn't even realize that Valkenhayn had entered the study and placed a tray of food next to her. She suddenly rose from her seat at the desk and gave her butler an unnerved look, her mouth ajar and legs quickly leading her out of the room of the study.

"I need to go…" She said sharply. "I apologize, Valkenhayn, but please keep my plate warm until I return. I will not take long…"

Valkenhayn did not even have a chance to question the vampire's request, Rachel's small form quickly rushing past him in a gust of sweet smelling wind before disappearing into black mist, she vanishing completely from the werewolf's sight once the fog settled. Valkenhayn shook his head dishearteningly so as he picked the up the tray that held her food and ushered himself out of the humble little office.

"Please take care of yourself, Mistress..." He said wearily.

* * *

Rachel reappeared on the hill that held that confounded sword, her fists clenched and heart beating rapidly. It was the one place where her mind at the very least would focus—the only place where she could feel close to him. Even when she was busying herself with her search, Rachel made a point to return to the memorial she created for him because perhaps just once being in its presence would shake some memories loose. Even though she has yet to have any such luck, she continued to try all the same.

Rachel approached the top of the hill, expecting the familiar sight of the sword to calm her mind, but the view she was met with made her heart drop.

"W-What is the meaning of this?!"

She ran to the top of the hill and fell down to her knees, never minding the dirt that was getting on her clothing. Before her was not the familiar weapon she had visited so many times prior, but a mere hole in the ground where it was meant to be.

"No... It can't be gone..."

Leaping from her spot on the ground, Rachel ran to the edge of the hill and frantically scanned the horizon for any sign of the sword or whoever might have stolen it, but she saw nothing. Thoughts began running through her mind as she desperately tried to make sense of the situation. She was in the middle of nowhere and during all of her visits she never saw any sign of humans in the area. Had some petty thief come through and pilfered the sword, and if so, when? It had only been a mere few days since she last paid a visit.

Not about to be deterred, Rachel took to the sky praying that a bird's eye view would yield better results, yet even from a greater vantage point, as well as giving the surrounding area a thorough once over, Rachel still saw nothing. The panic that set in her heart now developed into full blown fear. Very few things in this world had the power to so much as disrupt Rachel's composure, but the prospect of losing her last connection to the man she held so dear shook her to her very core. And yet…

Was there a chance that it could possibly be him?

Regardless of who took it, they had no right to do so as far as Rachel was concerned. Whoever the culprit was, they stole from her and defaced her cherished companion's grave, and she would not let them get away with such an act. Should it be the mystery man himself, or someone who could possibly offer her a clue, they would be forgiven. However, if it was some petty bandit who thought they got lucky, they would experience her full wrath.

With another quick teleportation, Rachel found herself in one of the many foyers of her manor where she spied Valkenhayn tidying up.

"Valkenhayn..."

"Ah, Madame Rachel, welcome home." The old werewolf greeted. "I will need but a moment to have your breakfast—"

"Never mind that! There are far more dire matters at hand!" Rachel shouted, leaving Valkenhayn rather taken aback. It was a very rare thing for his mistress to raise her voice in such a way. Despite his obvious concern, Rachel carried on unabated. "It's that blasted sword—that same sword that has continued to vex me for months on end. I know not who, nor how, nor why, but someone has stolen it right out from under my nose and I will not stand for it! I want you and those pests I call servants to begin searching for it immediately! I do not care how long it may take, but I need that sword, Valkenhayn! I cannot lose—"

"Madame, please!" Valkenhayn barked out abruptly. The interruption left Rachel completely silent, and allowed her to realize she was completely out of breath. Valkenhayn bowed to the vampire once he saw she had relaxed slightly. "I deeply apologize for raising my voice at you in such a manner, but if I might be so bold as to suggest you might be able to benefit from taking a seat and catching your breath."

"Y-Yes... I think I will." Rachel did her best to retain her composure as she dropped down on the nearest sofa to her.

"Now, if I may make a request of you, milady, could you please repeat what you said in a slow and calm manner? Only once you feel adequately prepared, of course."

Rachel glanced at Valkenhayn and nodded as she took a series of deep breaths.

"Thank you, Valkenhayn," Rachel began. "This is in regards to that sword I've told you about. When I departed not long ago it was to see it once more, but when I arrived it was gone. I combed the area as well as I could, but I was unable to find any sign of the perpetrator. I cannot lose that sword, Valkenhayn. It is the only connection I have left in this world to that man. I…I simply do not know what I would do if it were lost to me."

Valkenhayn listened intently to his mistress' woes as he did his best to process the situation as well. He had never seen Rachel in such distress before and it was alarming to say the least. The thought that monsters like Terumi could never faze her but this sword could was baffling. Though his feelings weren't the issue at hand—Lady Rachel required him in her time of need.

"I swear to you, Madame Rachel, I will not rest until this sword has been returned to your care. Would it be possible for you to describe it to me? Is there perhaps any existing picture of it for me to go by?"

There was no such picture as far as she knew, but her memory was good enough that she'd be able to provide her butler with an alternative.

"Fetch me a pen and paper."

"I beg your pardon, Madame?"

"Fetch me a pen and paper…" Rachel repeated hoarsely.

"R-Right…" Valkenhayn hurried off into some random part of the room to retrieve some writing utensils before coming back to his place by Rachel's side to hand the items over to her. "Will this suffice?"

"Yes…" Rachel took the stationary from his grasp, placed the paper on a nearby coffee table, and brought the pen to its surface. She made light and feathery lines along the paper's surface, her wrist and fingers moving together in delicate synchronicity as she tried piecing together the complex design of the sword in question from her memory onto the scrap of paper in front of her. Valkenhayn looked on curiously at his mistress' sketch, his brow arched inquisitively when the vampire finished her drawing and presented it to him.

"This…" She began. "This is what it looks like."

"And this is a sword you say?".

Rachel nodded curtly. "The design may look rather odd, I know, but I assure you that it is one." She stated. "It is as large as I am tall, with its features red in color. It has also suffered a great deal of battle damage from what I could tell."

Valkenhayn looked the image over several times to assure it was ingrained in his memory before handing it back to Rachel.

"As I stated before, I vow to do everything in my power to see that the sword is returned to you, Madame. The bumbling pair may not be good for much, but I shall recruit Nago and Gii as well for at least they each have a working set of eyes."

"Thank you, Valkenhayn." She stated. "Please do not hesitate to contact me should you find it, and be sure to restrain any persons you find with it in their possession." Rachel commanded. "There is no need to harm them...excessively, at any rate. But I will be needing to speak with them. You may leave..."

"Yes, Madame Rachel." With a final bow, Valkenhayn took off down a corridor and left Rachel alone with her thoughts.

Now alone, Rachel hugged the picture to her chest and glanced out the window of her manor. A strange sort of nostalgia washed over her as she stared up at the full moon that hung over the eternal darkness of the sky, and knew that she could never forgive herself if she ever lost all recollection of this man.

"Please come back to me..." She whispered sullenly.

* * *

 **We hope you enjoyed reading, leave a review if you want.**


	3. The Indomitable Spirit of Ikaruga!

**I do not own Blazblue.**

 **Thanks to Murder Media for all the help. We're going back to Ragna. Anyone see a pattern forming?**

* * *

"Chase this!"

The roaring mass of darkness slammed into a massive boulder and reduced it to nothing more than a pile of rubble. Ragna observed his handiwork, noting the power of his "Grimoire" was just as he always remembered it to be. It was a thought that occurred to him a little late all things considered, but seeing that he had plenty of time to think while traveling it was a thought that was bound to hit him eventually.

Did he still have the Azure Grimoire?

The short answer was yes. As far as a real explanation goes…

After checking himself over and confirming his body was just as it should be, Ragna was very curious as to what the deal was going to be with his right arm. All it took was a quick roll of the sleeve to confirm it was, in fact, still there. That unmistakable skin of his arm darker than anything else you can find in the world. Ragna wasn't exactly sure how to feel about still having his replacement arm at first, it caused just as many problems as it solved in his life after all. Thankfully his worries were put to rest when he made his second, much more pleasant realization…

He could no longer hear the Black Beast.

Yes, no matter how much he focused and listened for it, Ragna could not hear that familiar, dreaded whisper of the Beast gnawing at the edges of his mind. It was a condition that had plagued him since day one and stuck with him until the very end. It never got any easier to deal with either. On the contrary, it actually got more difficult as time went on if anything. The Beast grew stronger with him, so he had to sharpen his will that much more to keep it down, but that was about all he could do. Whether he was completely alone, surrounded by people, awake or asleep, Ragna could never totally escape from that monster's temptations. Yet here he was now, the power of the Azure literally at his fingertips with no downside to show for it.

He didn't hate it, Ragna had to admit.

As for how this came about, well, Ragna could only take a guess. Maybe he wasn't as stupid as some people though, but he wasn't exactly the cleverest guy around either. He assumed it had something to do with the fact he was only able to exist in this world based on his own memory. He was who he remembered himself to be to put it simply. So long as he knew he knew who and what he was, that being a human being, he should have no fear of ever becoming that monstrosity ever again. And luckily being human is one thing Ragna knew he would never forget. She made sure of that, after all.

Fight until the very end as a human being.

Rachel said those words to him so very long ago, but they resonated with him more than anything else ever had in his entire life. She didn't often ask things of him…terribly big things anyway, so when she asked him to make that promise with her, he didn't have to think twice. Those words kept him strong even in the bleakest of situations and undoubtedly saved his life more than once. Just another one of the many things Ragna would like to thank Rachel for in earnest. Yeah, yeah he said 'thank you for everything' before parting ways with her, but he wanted to say so much more.

She deserved to hear so much more.

Of course, he didn't know where the hell to start when it came to giving proper thanks, or properly conveying feelings for that matter, but he supposed he had the time to think about it. Later though, because he had another small problem on his hands.

Ragna had no idea where he was.

The savior of the world, everybody...

Old man Jubei tried plenty of times to impart the joys of traveling onto Ragna, and it's not like he exactly hated a good walk, but he simply didn't have a passion for it. Most places tended to just look the same to Ragna. That being said he never made much point to stop and see the sights what with how busy he always was back in the day. Perhaps a little more travel wouldn't hurt now that he had nothing but free time on his hands. He would need some way to spend his days now anyhow. If nothing else, it would mean avoiding the current problem he was having for in the future.

Luckily the little problem of his didn't last much longer.

The monotonous wasteland Ragna had been walking through slowly began to change as he could spot the occasional man made structure on the horizon. However, it was worth noting that not a single building was left completely intact. As he crossed over a hill, Ragna could even spot a good deal of clutter scattered across the land. The ruins were the only clue Ragna needed to finally determine where he was.

It looked like he was in Ibukido as far as he could tell.

Yes, only one area he ever traveled through was so cluttered with junk, on the surface at any rate, and that was none other than the 5th Hierarchical City of Ibukido. As he made his way further into the wreckage, Ragna even took note of the architecture. Smashed to hell or not, even he could recognize the particular style of the buildings that were still standing. Jubei would tell him about how they were made in the same style as the architecture back in his homeland of Japan or something like that. However, what really grabbed his attention was the movement Ragna caught off in the distance.

"Are those…people?" Ragna moved to step forward, but was abruptly stopped by a voice.

"You there! Sir!"

Apparently more engrossed with sightseeing then he thought, Ragna didn't even notice a group of men approaching him. Sparing nothing more than a glance over his shoulder, it turned out to be a familiar group coming to meet him.

It was the ninja that worked under Bang.

There was no mistaking it, not when they were all practically identical save for different color variations of the same outfit. Honestly, Ragna even could've sworn they all had the same voice too. Combine all that with the fact they shared the same excitable personality as their boss and they were a downright hive mind in the making. Still, not like they were ever bad guys, so Ragna figured he could show them some respect—just a little bit, if nothing else.

Turning to face the men, Ragna greeted them, "Sup?"

"Sorry to have to tell you this, sir, but we are going to have to ask you to keep clear of this area for the time being."

Ragna noted they didn't seem to recognize him. Not too surprising, he supposed. Bang's lackeys were never the brightest blubs in the bunch so it was no great shock if they didn't recall his face. The more intriguing matter was what they were all doing in the ruins of Ibukido, and why it was closed off.

"Oh yeah? So why can't I pass through?" Ragna scoffed. Meaning to be polite or not, he couldn't help but give a disrespectful tone when dealing with people telling him not to do something.

"Well, our group is currently heading a massive reconstruction project in this area."

"That's right," another ninja chimed in. "With all the construction, we are finding the area is a little unstable with sink holes and other hazards, you see? Not to mention there isn't much we can do to regulate the Seithr right now. Wander into the wrong area and it could very well be a deathtrap!"

Ragna had to chuckle, he couldn't help himself. These guys didn't know who they were dealing with.

"Look guys, I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine. I'm a big boy so don't bother worrying about me. Just let me pass through, cool?" Despite Ragna's heavily sarcastic reassurance, the ninja clearly weren't buying it though.

"Um…sir, with all due respect we really can't let you through. We have our orders, and—"

"And I can respect that," Ragna cut the ninja off, deciding he wouldn't be able to leave room for argument here. He let a growl slip in his voice, "but I'm gonna have to level with you guys, I really need to get by here, understand? Its gonna happen one way or another, so why not make it easy on yourselves?" Ragna's stern tone and intimidating presence were plenty to put the ninja on edge. A few shifted their stances, clearly preparing for a fight should one break out. Ragna didn't want to hurt them, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't.

Ragna really didn't expect to do much fighting—at least not so soon, but he could shrug it off easily enough. Fighting was always second nature to him for better or worse. Shifting his stance slightly, Ragna moved to take hold of his sword. Just a show of force, he told himself. If there was gonna be a fight then so be it, but he at least wouldn't chop anyone up today.

"Alright, punks, remember you asked for—"

"TOH!"

A cloud of smoke exploded in between Ragna and the ninjas of Ikaruga which revealed a large, scruffy looking older male with a toothy smile plastered across his face. It took Ragna a moment to recognize who the stranger was thanks to all of the smoke in the air, but once the fog had finally settled, the criminal was more than happy to see who it was. Bang Shishigami had appeared before them, the man just as Ragna remebered save for the missing nail, but that was to be expected. Though it wasn't the first person he intended to meet, Ragna was glad to run into one of the few people he actually did kind of consider a friend. Bang started to clear his throat and took a step to the side to address both Ragna and his own gang.

"Gentleman, I must say I could clearly feel the tension in the air a moment ago. What seems to be the problem here?"

"Nothing, now that you showed up," Ragna said as he stepped forward. "Good to see you again, Bang."

Ragna braced himself, expecting Bang to throw an arm around his shoulders and blow out his ear drums with a greeting that would surely be heard throughout all of Ikaruga, but was actually rather shocked when Bang merely gave him a glance instead.

"Forgive me, stranger, but I don't believe we've met before. Have you perhaps heard of me?"

"W-Wait, what?" Ragna questioned, knowing what he heard couldn't possibly be right. He knew Bang wasn't what many, himself included, would call smart, but he certainly wasn't this dim.

"What are you talking about? It's me! Ragna!"

"Hmm…" Bang dipped his head in contemplation and furrowed his brows. "…No. No I can't say I've ever met a 'Ragna' in my life, nor do you look familiar. My apologizes, but maybe you have me confused with someone else?"

"Cut the bullshit, Bang! If this is your idea of a joke it ain't funny!" Seeing as patience was never his strong suit, Ragna wasn't able to contain his outburst and managed to visibly frighten Bang and his gang as a result. He couldn't fathom what had gotten into the ninja though. He could admit they hadn't exactly known each other for the longest time but Ragna got the impression they had become friends, and if Bang made one thing perfectly clear it was that he would never so much as dream of turning his back on a friend.

That son of a bitch, Ragna cursed to himself. He couldn't believe he only had to be gone for a short while before people completely forgot about him. Unless…

There was a thought the criminal truly hadn't considered since he returned to the world, and now that it hit him he honestly couldn't believe it hadn't crossed his mind sooner.

Does anyone remember him?

The whole situation was weird and kinda complicated so Ragna didn't exactly want to reflect on it, but now he must consider what were the results of his decision to step inside the Master Unit. He had rebuilt reality using his memories as a template with a few creative changes here and there. For one thing, he made sure there was no longer any outside forces like Takamagahara that could interfere with a world anymore. He figured it was best to let people be people and handle their own business. Ragna also took it upon himself to let those who were known as the Entitled live out their lives in peace so he did his best to recreate the handful dreams he observed. These changes aside, Ragna figured it was best to keep the world how he remembered it, history and all for better or worse. None of this should have created a problem, Ragna would assume, but there was one last important piece he had left to consider. He built the current world, but he himself was not in it, and that could only mean…

This was a reality where he did not, nor did he ever, exist.

Shit…

The thought did not sit well with the former criminal whatsoever. For the most part he wouldn't really care if his actions were remembered or not. It's not like he was running from his past, perhaps he didn't always make the best decisions, but he always stood by them. He had no need for recognition for his more heroic actions either—praise was never something he cared to have one way or the other, for the most part anyway. No, what bothered him were the few key individuals that he actually managed to grow attached to over the years.

Friends and comrades in arms like Bang and Kagura.

He might not have had the easiest time dealing with Jin and Noel but they were still his family.

There was always Jubei—the man who trained and raised Ragna as if he were his own son.

And most importantly...Rachel...

SHIT!

No. No, no, no… If anyone would be an exception it would be Rachel. She was an Observer, so her memory was ridiculous. Not like she was the most normal girl in the world either. She would be different for sure. She had to be…

"Ragna?"

He was jostled from his thoughts when Bang's hand came down on his shoulder. However, no sooner than when Bang's hand made contact did Ragna push it away out of reflex, but it did make Ragna realize he must've zoned out for a minute there. Giving Bang his full attention once more, Ragna could see his lapse must've made the ninja concerned.

"U-Uh, my bad, what were you saying?"

"I was merely asking if you were alright." Bang repeated himself. "You got alarmingly quiet and looked as though you had seen a ghost."

That was certainly not what he wanted to hear at the moment.

"It…its fine, Bang. Don't worry about it." Ragna knew there was no use crying over spilt milk, so he thought best to just move pass it. "Look, you're right, we never met before. Sorry to freak out on you like that."

"I thought that were the case, but if so, how did you know my name before I gave it?" Bang questioned.

"Hm? Oh, right, that. You see… I stayed in Kagutsuchi for a good while some time back. I heard about you while I was there." Ragna lied. "You were a big shot there or something, I guess?"

"Oh! You must be speaking of Ronin-Ga!" Apparently, that was enough for Bang because his face brightened up immediately. "Yes, my comrades and I made a temporary home for ourselves in the Ronin-Ga district of Kagutsuchi once before. I did everything I could to repay them for their hospitality so I suppose my name was spread around! Ha, ha, ha!"

"Yeah, something like that…"

Bang approached Ragna once more, much jollier than a moment ago. "Now then, what was the problem you were facing? You needed passage through Ibukido?"

"Yeah, I got some important things I need to take care of as soon as possible, so I don't have the time to circle around the entire area. Think you can help me out?"

"Hm, we were given strict orders to keep all trespassers at bay…" And just as Ragna was getting ready to throw a sucker punch and make a break for it, Bang gave him a thumbs-up. "So, that is why I will guide you through myself!"

"Really? You know you don't have—"

"Nonsense!" Bang clenched his fist, his eyes now burning with passion. "I can see it just by looking at you, you are a man who is moving with purpose. However, seeing as I cannot disobey my orders, I can only see one solution and that is to be your personal guide!"

"Wow, Boss, how kind of you!" One ninja cheered.

"What else would you expect? This is Boss Bang we're talking about!" Another chimed in.

"Yeah! You're the best, Boss!"

"Boss! Boss! Boss!"

"Ha, ha, ha! No need to get so wound up, you know!? This is simply the duty of all noble men!" Bang spoke humbly, but anyone could see how proud he was, and his gang ate it up.

And it was already giving Ragna a headache. Still, he wouldn't mind catching up with Bang for a little bit. Perhaps he would be able to find out how things have been lately too. First things first, though, shutting up the cheer squad.

"Hey!" Ragna's voice boomed over the land, startling the ninjas. "Uh, thanks for the offer. If I seriously can't go by myself, do you mind if we get going? I wanna make some headway sooner rather than later."

"Very well," Bang got the message loud and clear. "Back to your stations, men! I will rejoin you as soon as I finish helping our new friend here."

The ninja gave a salute and took off toward their respective work zones before they were interrupted by Ragna. With his men returning to their work, Bang offered Ragna his complete and undivided attention.

"Before we begin," Bang held out his hand to Ragna, "A proper introduction is long overdue. You have heard of me already, but I am Bang Shishigami! At your service!"

Ragna regarded Bang a moment, but he really couldn't keep himself from smiling a bit. He took Bang's hand and gave it a hardy shake.

"Ragna. Nice to meet you, Bang."

"Likewise!" Bang turned and gestured for Ragna to follow. "I won't hold you up any longer, Ragna, let's get you on your way."

"Now you're speaking my language." Nothing sounded better than the prospect of progress, so Ragna was quick to fall in step with Bang and they set a comfortable pace as they made their way through the recovering land of Ibukido.

"Hey, tell me, where exactly are we going?" Ragna questioned. "You don't really plan to walk me all the way to the next Hierarchical City, right?"

"Ha, ha! No, unfortunately I don't have the time to spare for a trip like that. I still have my obligations here after all. Where I will be taking you is a makeshift train station that was set up to assist with the relief efforts—shuttling supplies and workers and the such. You're in luck seeing as it is scheduled to depart once more rather soon."

"And where the hell will that thing take me?" He really didn't have the time to bounce between random train stations.

"It has a direct line to the city of Yabiko. Have you ever been there before, Ragna?"

Yabiko… Kagura's base is there, probably anyway, Ragna thought to himself. If Kagura hasn't kept in touch with Rachel, he should at least be able to provide direction to Kokonoe. It stood to reason he would at least keep tabs on his co-conspirator. Not to mention the fact Kokonoe was a woman who Kagura always had an eye for. Not that it made a lick of sense to Ragna, but whatever. Although it occurred to Ragna that it wouldn't actually be easy getting close to the Black Knight seeing as he had no memory of who Ragna was. He wouldn't be able to put all his eggs in that basket that much was for sure.

Brushing his thoughts aside for the moment, Ragna answered, "Yeah, once while I was traveling."

"Travels, eh?" Bang mused. "Based on your stature, and that well-worn weapon attached to your hip I assume you are some kind of mercenary? A vigilante, perhaps?"

"Sure, something like that..." It was best to change the subject. "How about you? What do you do, Bang?"

"Oh-ho! I am proud to say I am a direct attendant of none other than the Imperator, Lord Homura himself!" Bang declared.

"Really?" Ragna clearly feigned interest, but Bang didn't seem to pick up on it.

"That's right! You see, I served his father, the late Lord Tenjo—may he rest in peace—back when Ikaruga was in much better shape. As I'm sure you know, the events of the Civil War did not end well for the people of Ikaruga and we were made to flee. Truly, a modern tragedy! It was at this time I lived in Kagutsuchi and was given the news that the young lord had survived! I was simply overjoyed! So, I had set out and—" Bang carried on unabated, but Ragna decided it wouldn't hurt to tune him out.

He knew this story anyway, and how it ended too. Bang's dream was to be able to serve Homura once more and restore the Ikaruga territory to its former glory. Probably the most selfless out of all the dreams Ragna had observed, he would think. All Bang wanted was for his people to be happy again, and Ragna was glad to help make that happen. He guessed he could've just restored Ikaruga himself, observe it to be so or whatever, but he believed it would've been wrong to just fix everyone's problems with god magic. It would surely be more fulfilling to do it themselves too.

Ragna wasn't much of a builder anyway.

"—And by the end of the final battle we were victorious! We had overthrown the corrupt, evil being that took over the NOL and restored Lord Homura as the rightful ruler. Things were shaky for a bit, people understandably untrusting of the NOL, but we pressed on and are now on the fast road to recovery! Not just for Ikaruga, either, but the whole world as well!"

"Hell of a story, Bang." Ragna laughed.

"Yes, yes, it is quite the tale I must admit! Although you probably have heard enough from me. If I may, I have a question for you."

Ragna shrugged, he had nothing to hide. "Shoot."

"I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds, but what with the way you were so persistent about passing through Ibukido, you would understand that I am a bit curious as to what you are searching for."

"Oh, that…" Ragna wasn't quite sure how to explain it. He didn't want to bust out a crazy long rant like Bang did.

"You don't have to answer if you do not want to! Like I said, I don't mean to pry."

"Nah, don't sweat it." Ragna sighed as he figured to just be vague. "I got this…friend, alright? She's, um...really important to me and we went our separate ways a little while back. I was just worried she was gonna get lonely without me around so I was looking to catch up with her."

Bang stopped dead in his tracks without a word, and Ragna followed suit a second later when he noticed.

"Bang? What's the hold up?" No sooner than when Ragna said those words, did Bang rush forward and throw an arm around Ragna's shoulder.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?!"

"S-Say what...?!"

"That you were searching for your loved one, of course!"

"What do you—just get off me! You seriously reek!" Ragna broke Bang's hold on him with a hard shove and stepped back to catch his breath, but Bang clamped his hands down on Ragna's shoulders to look him dead in the eye.

"Ragna, I know very well that there is no pursuit in this world more noble than the pursuit of love! If you had said you were seeking your woman sooner, we could've avoided all that confusion!"

Of-fucking-course, Ragna told himself as he smothered the urge to drive his fist into his head. He should've remembered that all you had to do to win Bang over is drop the love bomb.

"That's real good and all, but could you do me a favor and stop touching me?!" Ragna broke Bang's grip on him once more and readjusted his coat. "Seriously man, personal space…"

"M-My apologizes, Ragna. I have a habit of getting a bit…overexcited when matters of romance get involved. My own woman has told me as much, at least."

"Well she's on to something. Mind if we keep going?" Ragna was ready to move. It was nice seeing the guy again, but Ragna was remembering a little Bang went a long way.

"Yes, of course! If you would just follow me."

With the awkward physical contact out of the way, the duo was back on track. If he was being honest, Ragna really wouldn't have minded a little silence now, but he could practically feel how bad Bang wanted to keep talking. Surely about this woman of his, though Ragna had a guess as to who it might be.

Screw it…

"Hey, you mentioned a woman of your own?" Ragna asked.

"That's correct!" Bang brightened up so quickly you would think he just won the lottery. "I was blessed, Ragna, simply blessed to happen upon this angel in my travels, and even more so that I am privileged to call her my significant other! Never had I met a woman so witty, with a will of pure steel, and a true spirit of fire within her soul! Once she is in the throws of battle, the passion that burns in her eyes is unmatched by all! And, just between you and I, her beauty simply knows no bounds. Oh! Oh! I actually have a picture of her! Look!" Bang wasted no time digging out a photograph and shoving it in Ragna's face.

"Hey! What did I tell you?! Personal space!" Ragna barked out while swiping the picture from Bang's hand.

"R-Right! My mistake." Bang made a point to take a step back so they were at arm's length.

Ragna threw in a stern look for good measure to make sure the scruffy ninja wasn't going to get any more bright ideas before looking at the picture. The picture wasn't only of Bang and his significant other—they were surrounded by the ninja of Ikaruga, and were all striking poses around their boss who was dead center with a huge smile on his face even by his standards and his arm around his woman. Ragna's first and only guess was that doctor, Litchi what's her face, but he was wrong.

 _Butt Floss?!_

It was that mercenary with the attitude problem, butt floss…or Bullet, Ragna had to remind himself. By the way she was slouching and rubbing her arm she looked rather shy, but the blush and the rather uncharacteristic smile on her face gave away her joy. His surprise over Bullet subsided quickly, however, when he noticed who was in the back of the picture just barely fitting in the frame.

"Tager! That's it!"

"Oh? You know of my darling's commanding officer?"

Now it was Ragna's turn to infringe on Bang's personal space as he reached out and grabbed his shoulder, holding the picture out for both of them to see.

"Bang, this is super important so I need you to listen, alright?" Ragna held the picture directly in Bang's face as he frantically gestured to the imposing figure in the corner with his other hand. "This right here is the Red Devil—Tager from Sector 7, right? Right?!"

"Y-Yes, it is." Bang took the picture back as he looked it over. "You see, despite Bullet's immeasurable beauty she always refused pictures of any kind. Strange, no? I managed to convince her to take this one when I suggested a group picture and her commanding officer offered to join in. What is the significance of this though? Do you two know each other?"

"I…I know his boss, Kokonoe."

"Oh! You know of the professor as well? That is certainly surprising considering how much of a recluse she is." Bang commented.

"Well I do, and I need to talk to her. Look, I haven't been entirely honest with you." Ragna was doing his best not to alarm Bang, but he finally had a proper lead to find his way to Rachel and he wasn't about to lose it. "It's about my friend. I'm not just trying to catch up with her, I'm actually trying to find her. I haven't been able to reach her my, uh, usual way and there is nothing else I can do on my own. Kokonoe is an…acquaintance of my friend and the only other person I know who might be able to contact her. Finding Kokonoe means I find my friend, so I—"

"Say no more," Bang interrupted. "You want me to get you in contact with Bullet and Tager so they can connect you to Kokonoe, is that right?"

"Yes, exactly!"

"Hmm…" Bang crossed his arms and lowered his head in contemplation. He was clearly hesitant about the idea, and if Ragna was being fair he couldn't blame him. From Bang's perspective, he was nothing more than a complete stranger asking for the location of his beloved girlfriend.

"Look, I know it's not like I've given you any reason to trust me, but I really need you to trust me anyway. If you know the deal with Kokonoe you know how hard she is to find. This could be my only chance, so please!" Ragna pleaded.

In a flash, Bang set Ragna with a hard glare intense enough to intimidate anyone else. The ninja meant business now.

"This friend of yours…" Bang began, "are they truly precious to you."

Ragna didn't hesitate, "More than anyone else in the world."

Bang held his glare for a moment more, but he couldn't stop a smile from breaking through.

"There is no lying in those eyes. I do believe I can trust you, Ragna." Bang gave the second, overdramatic thumbs-up of the day. "Fret not, my friend! I will do all I can to reunite you with your precious one!"

"You're the man, Bang!" Ragna bumped his fist into Bang's. "I don't know how I can thank you."

"Think nothing of it! Anything for the sake of love!" Bang crossed his arms, "I have some good news for you as well—Bullet and Tager are currently on assignment in Yabiko."

"Aw hell yeah! Finally, some good luck for a change."

Just then the air was pierced by the sound of a sharp horn.

"Huh? What's that?" Ragna asked.

"Hm? Oh that? That's just the train. Its scheduled to leave about now, I believe." Bang answered simply.

...

...

"Goddammit!" He tested his strength, he tested his grimoire, it was now time to test his speed. "Lead the way, Bang!"

"Right! TOH!" Leaving nothing more than a cloud of smoke behind them, Ragna and Bang took off after the train. They made their way uphill, aiming for the platform, just in time to see the train pulling away.

"Ragna, there is one last thing I must tell you!" Bang called out.

"You better make it fast!"

"Bullet is on an assignment in Yabiko, but I know not where! Furthermore, I would guess they will only be there for another day or so, so time will be of the essence!"

Ragna growled, not the news he wanted. "Hell…alright, anything else?!"

"Just keep in mind that Bullet is not quite as forthcoming as I am! Be sure you let her know you and I have spoken and your current situation and she is sure to help—"

The train sounded again.

"Gotcha! Thanks for everything Bang!" With no more time to spare, Ragna braced himself to hit his top speed and took off, completely disappearing in the blink of an eye and leaving the ninja completely awe struck.

"By Lord Tenjo! He can move with the speed of the Seven League Step!"

With a few mighty strides, Ragna flew up the hill and completely cleared the platform just in time to jump and land on the caboose of the train.

"Jeez, talk about cutting it close." Ragna gasped.

"RAGNA!"

Hearing his name even over the wind and the train, Ragna turned back to see Bang standing at the edge of the platform with his arms raised in the air.

"Godspeed my friend! I wish you the best of luck! I know your love will triumph in the end!"

Ragna actually had to laugh a little bit. Since he returned to the world he had already managed to face a couple setbacks, but running into the patron saint of optimism did wonders for his mood. Ragna gave Bang a thumbs-up of his own as he slowly disappeared in the distance. He wasn't too sure what he was going to do after he met up with Rachel, but coming back to help Bang rebuild his home didn't sound too bad.

For the moment, however, rest seemed like a pretty good idea. He had consistently been on the move since his return and could use a breather. He spied a hatch a few feet away from him and pried it open with ease before dropped into the train cabinet. A quick look revealed this was merely a supply car—just a few crates here and there. Dropping down next the closest one, Ragna settled in for his long ride to Yabiko. These Ars Magus trains could move pretty fast, but it would still take some time for him to reach his destination. Which was fine—he needed to think over what he was going to do next. Ragna knew he would have to think of some way to convince Bullet and Tager to help him, not to mention Kokonoe of all people. He would make it work one way or another though—this was for Rachel after all.

"Hang on just a little bit longer, Rabbit. I'm almost there."


	4. Acquaintences In High Places

**I do not own Blazblue.**

 **OHHHH IT'S YA BOI, IT'S YA BOI, IT'S YA BOI, MURDA COMIN BACK ATCHA LIVE WIT A NEW UPDATE. HACKIN' THIS WHITE ASS MOTHAFUCKAS ACCOUNT TO FUCK WIT HIS SHIT YO LINKS TO MY NEW MIXTAPE AT THE END OF THE FIC NIGGA. SHIT IS HOTTER THAN MERCURY FAM CHECK IT OUT TO SUPPORT THE SQUAD 100% #TRASHMENWILDSTYLIN'**

* * *

The arbitrary forest Rachel found herself in was quiet—deathly quiet she would go as far as to say, but that was to be expected these days. It was a rare sight to see much life in such a habitat due to the rampant Seithr that still stubbornly clung to such places. Anything that still managed to survive in these desolate woods would undoubtedly be horribly mutated by the invisible poison that blanketed their world. It was also due to this fact that made Rachel question why should would ever be checking such a place for her lost sword. It took someone of a high caliber to traverse these locations—someone like her or Valkenhayn, and as such the chances of finding any other intelligent life was low. Though she supposed that someone who would go so far out in the middle of nowhere, not to mention strong enough to move that battered slab of metal, should be able to survive these environments as well.

This is what she continued to tell herself at any rate. Anything to keep her from feeling like a lunatic at this point.

She continued to drift through the trees, carried by a magical gust of wind, until she found an ample branch to make a temporary perch for herself. Part of Rachel was nagging her to keep on moving—to continue until she found her prize, but the more sensible part of her insisted on taking a break. She had been at it all day, and aside from the fact that teleporting so consistently was no easy task, it wasn't as if she was in the best of conditions when she began her search this morning. Now the combination of her constant lack of sleep, the emotional stress, and now the frequent teleporting was a tall order even for someone of her station. After the brief mental back and forth, Rachel decided to listen to her body for a change and took a seat on the branch. She could use the time to breathe and hopefully calm her mind a bit.

Rachel did feel like as though there was something she could gain from searching such a location, though she knew not why. There was something almost nostalgic about exploring these secluded backwoods that made her believe that it was a familiar setting whenever she dealt with her mystery man in the past. She allowed herself a moment to stop and close her eyes and wonder what kind of things they might have talked about before. Out of all the things Rachel tried to recall about that man, the things they discussed was near the top. Considering how she found everything in her life to be so dull, she imagined her and this man must've talked about some interesting things. Yet no matter what possibilities she tried to consider nothing at all came to mind, though it was of no surprise to her at this point. It seemed all she could do was go off feeling as of late—rational thought apparently having abandoned her months ago.

Her mental health was something she knew she was going to have to consider more and more if things carried on the way they have been. She feared that a failing memory and increasingly frequent headaches were a warning sign of much greater problems to come. Although, worrying would merely compound the problem, Rachel told herself. Now she needed to focus on what she stopped for in the first place—namely taking a minute to rest. Closing her eyes and breathing deeply, Rachel lost herself in the sounds of the forest. The gentle rustle of the leaves coupled with the occasional chirping of birds did calm Rachel's nerves slightly, she could admit.

 _"Ugh, the rabbit?"_

Rachel's eyes shot open and she leapt to her feet when she heard a voice call out.

"Who goes there?" She called out. "Show yourself at once."

No matter how she strained her eyes, she could only see so far through the trees, and as a result saw no one at all.

 _"What are you doing here? Go home already!"_ The voice echoed once more.

"Come out!" Rachel took off from her spot with a burst of wind, never minding the direction she was heading it—she just had to move. She propelled through the trees with a mighty tempest, knocking branches from trees and scattering leaves all about. She felt as though she was prepared to raze the entire forest if need be, for there was no chance it was just some stranger calling out to her by mere coincidence. Rachel only stopped when she broke into a circular clearing in the trees. Spinning in her spot in the air, Rachel looked for any possible signs of whoever it was calling out to her, but was once again met with nothing.

"Please... Anyone!"

"Rachel? That you?"

Rachel whirled in place to and beheld a certain someone she did not expect to see, "...Jubei?"

Indeed, down below her, also having just entered the clearing, stood one of the few she would call her ally—Jubei. The old cat observed Rachel curiously through his one good eye, clearly taken aback after hearing Rachel of all people screaming in a forest. He approached the center of the clearing with a slow pace aided by a walking stick, as Rachel lowered herself to the ground to greet the warrior properly.

"Greetings, One-Eyed Lotus." Rachel did her best to address Jubei in a typical manner as to regain a sense of normalcy and more importantly divert his attention from her little episode.

"Always with that name..." Jubei muttered, "Where have ya been all this time? It's been months since anybody has seen ya, last I heard."

"Hm, never you mind, Jubei. Each and every one of us have found our own way to busy ourselves as of late, and I merely decided rest would be the wisest decision for myself."

"Fair enough. I can't really fault ya there. Although…" Jubei eyed Rachel, "Was that you yellin' yer head off a second ago? What's got ya so worked up?"

"That..." Rachel honestly was unsure of what to say. Clearly that voice that called out to her was not Jubei. It was a bit gruff like his, yes, but not nearly as aged or deep either. It was far more abrasive, but not in a way Rachel would have called unpleasant. No, if anything when she heard that voice it made her heart leap and gave her a sense of comfort she had not felt for months now. She chastised herself for allowing herself to be so disheveled and not listening more carefully to it because now it was already gone as if it were totally a figment of her imagination. It was clear that Jubei had not heard it himself, so that did not bode well for her mental state. Deciding it best to keep the strange occurrence to herself, Rachel replied, "It was nothing, Jubei. No need to worry yourself with my affairs."

Jubei regarded Rachel a moment before nodding. "If yer so sure then."

"And what of you? What brings you so far out into the wilderness?" Rachel was eager to change the subject.

"Heh, yer talkin' like I need an excuse to go gallivantin' around. But if yer askin' about a destination... I'm heading for the church."

Rachel needed no further explanation as to what the purpose of his trip was. That church is where the remains of the Black Beast were sealed away, where Celica lived, and where the memorial for both she and her sister Nine stood. Much of Jubei's history was tied up in that single spot, so Rachel knew he must have made a point to visit it at least on occasion when his wander lust didn't drag him back out into the world.

"If you would prefer, I could always teleport you as to save you the trouble." Rachel offered.

"Nah, I'm fine as is. Legs might not be as good as they used to be, but I still love a good walk. I appreciate the offer, though."

"Passing on a favor from me? I don't give them out lightly, you know?"

"Ha, ha! I said I appreciated it, didn't I?" Seeing the vampire turn her nose up at him set Jubei's mind at ease. It was the same old Rachel after all.

"So long as you understand the gravity of what you are relinquishing." Rachel said as she turned away. Jubei might have been one of the few individuals she did not mind partaking in conversation with, but she still had work to do. "I will not hold you up any longer then. Enjoy the remainder of your walk, Jubei. Give them my regards as well."

"Will do, Rachel. I appreciate that, too." Jubei gave a light wave over his shoulder. "Take care of yourself, and try not to be such a stranger, ya hear?"

Rachel intended to end the conversation here, but there was something gnawing at her mind. Jubei had been her ally for longer than anyone, save Valkenhayn, as he was employed by her father himself so it wasn't odd to feel so familiar around him, and yet there was something else. She felt as though there was another part to their shared history—something missing. Yet another piece to the puzzle she was sure pertained to the man that owned the sword. The rational part of her mind reminded her that chances were abysmal at best, but she was still compelled to ask regardless.

"Jubei?" Rachel called out.

"Mm?" Jubei stopped and turned to face Rachel once more. "Somethin' else on yer mind, Rachel?"

"Yes..." Rachel caught herself trailing off, though she did not mean to. She did not want to admit it, but she was nervous as to what Jubei's answer to her question would be. She was sick and tired of having her hope stomped into dust time and time again. Having every lead come to a dead end did the spirit no good.

"Rachel? Ya sure yer okay?" Jubei had known the vampire for many years, and it was readily apparent to him that something was clearly wrong after all, and yet Rachel wasn't giving an inch. At least that much remained the same about his old comrade, he mused to himself.

"Yes, Jubei, all is well. Now, there was something I must know. Have you… Have you ever felt as though something important were missing? A person, or rather a man to be specific?"

"Huh? What are ya trying to—"

"Please." Rachel stared Jubei down with the same indifferent mask she always wore, but her shaky tone betrayed the urgency she felt. Jubei knew not to take such a tone from someone like Rachel lightly, so with a single nod, the cat lowered his head and did his best to think over Rachel's question.

Had something, or rather someone, truly been missing in his life? A man specifically?

His gut response was a simple no if he had to be blunt. He had lost a few dear friends, that much was for sure, but it's not like anyone was missing—certainly no men, either. His closest male friends aside from his own late brother were Hakumen and Valkenhayn, but Rachel surely wasn't referring to either of them. That, in fact, was the other detail Jubei knew he had to consider. It wasn't just a man that he would find important, but one that Rachel would. That alone would shorten the list considerably as far as he knew. The only two people Jubei knew Rachel without a doubt cared for was her father, Clavis, and Valkenhayn. Barring a couple of individuals she considered acquaintances at best, there was no one Rachel would so openly deem as important to herself personally. He knew she wouldn't want to hear it, but he only had a single answer.

"Sorry, Rachel, nobody comes to mind."

The response that was to be expected, truly. Despite the fact she had tempered her hopes accordingly, it still bothered her a bit to hear it put so plainly.

"I see, thank you." Rachel floated a bit up into the air to continue her search. It wasn't necessarily bad to have a polite conversation with the old cat, but Rachel decidedly wasted enough time on menial chit chat. "I apologize for the repeated delays. You may be on your way now. Good day to you, Jubei."

"Hey, Rachel."

Rachel paused her ascent for a moment, "Yes?"

"Don't forget ya got people on yer side out here. I understand if there is certain business ya feel ya need to handle yourself, but remember ya don't have to go in alone. All ya need to do is ask, and we'll be there to help ya." Jubei turned and began making his way through the trees once more. Jubei called over his shoulder, "Just thought ya could use a reminder. Take it easy, Rachel."

And with a wave of his paw, the retired hero faded from Rachel's sight.

Drifting to the nearest tree, Rachel found a proper branch to make as a new, temporary perch once more.

Rachel chewed over Jubei's words as she watched the sun beginning to set in the distance. Why not just ask for help? It was such simple, yet sound advice—so very like Jubei, and Rachel expected as much from him after knowing him for so many years. In truth, Rachel had considered gaining the help from those she would call her allies months ago to help search for the man who owned that sword. It made sense to pick the brains of everyone she knew to see if maybe someone remembered something if nothing else, but when the thought crossed her mind it felt wrong. Aside from the fact that if Valkenhayn couldn't recall someone close to her then surely no one else could, there was just no one besides her loyal butler in the world she trusted with something that felt this intimate to her. Rachel worked with many individuals before, but that was all business, while this was very personal. Even among those she would bestow the title of ally upon, she didn't feel she was able to rely on anyone

Nevertheless, the man was one thing and the sword was another.

Even though she didn't want anyone encroaching on her business involving the blade's owner, the blade itself didn't bother her nearly as much. Even so, she certainly planned to be discreet to keep anyone's involvement at a minimum. Now it was just a question of who would she get to assist her. Rachel supposed she could catch up to Jubei and explain the situation to him. No, she didn't want to bother him with such an issue, she told herself. He has been on the job, so to speak, for over one hundred years now. With the battle finall over he deserved his peace more than anyone. The second candidate that came to mind, however, might actually be of great use. In truth, they weren't someone she particularly wanted to deal with, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

God help them if they managed to annoy her while in this mood though.

* * *

"Ugh…come on already. Isn't there an end to this?" Kagura groaned to himself as he sized up the still massive pile of paperwork that made a tower on his desk. He was happy that they successfully managed to restore balance to the NOL and were on the fast track to an unprecedented time of peace and all, but did it really require so much paper pushing? All this time in the office was seriously eating away at his once glorious social life. He didn't care how many legendary heroes, corrupt gods, vindictive boyfriends and husbands, or angry fathers he had to face down—he would do anything to get out of his stuffy office for so much as a single night if it meant getting some ass, getting shit-faced or both.

Kagura sighed and leaned back in his chair to stretch out his stiff muscles. All he wanted was a hard cup of sake and the company of a pretty woman…

"Kagura."

"Hm?" Glancing down at the feminine voice that interrupted his thoughts and was graced with a thankful, but shocking sight. "R-R-Rachel?!"

"Eloquent as always, Mr. Black Knight."

"Whoa, whoa, hold up for a second, is this for real?" Kagura jumped from his chair as he paced around his desk to stand before Rachel. He looked the vampire over, and save the more casual clothing she was just as he remembered her. Still, he had trouble believing she would just appear out of the blue. "You really are Rachel? I'm not dreaming here?"

Kagura tentatively reach a hand out, as if to confirm that what he was seeing was the genuine article and not a hallucination of his lonely mind, but had that hand viciously swatted out of the air by Rachel's smaller one—the force of her palm on his skin making his knuckles crack.

"I don't recall ever giving you permission to lay so much as a finger upon me, you cad." Rachel spat. "Remember your place lest I remove your arm from the elbow to see such a mistake never happen again."

"Mmhm, yup, definitely Rachel…" Kagura muttered.

Although, even if he would never dare say it out loud, Rachel's simpler attire was giving Kagura pause. Not because of the clothing itself, but what it was allowing him to see. Now it was no secret that Kagura was a lover of all body types, but even he had a favorite and he absolutely wasn't expecting Rachel to have it. The vampire clearly wasn't aiming to show off, as her clothing was still perfectly modest to most, but without her layers upon layers of skirts, Kagura could see Rachel's true figure as clear as day and knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was _**thick**_.

"Goddamn, babe…" Kagura couldn't help himself, but he was at least self-aware enough to mind his volume. He knew he would be facing an instant death sentence should he get caught, but he found himself tilting his head ever so slightly to try and catch a glimpse of what the Vampire Queen was working with.

"What may I ask are you doing?" Rachel questioned, breaking the man out of his fantasies after noticing his queer behavior.

"Hm? O-Oh! Uh, nothing! Just surprised to see you, that's all…" Having been so thrown by such a bod, Kagura completely forgot who he was dealing with and reminded himself he had to do a better job minding his manners.

The older woman rolled her eyes. "If you are quite finished with your antics, I had something I needed to ask of you."

"Wait, let's back things up a minute here." Kagura folded his arms as he leaned against his desk, his casual calm returning to him. He had no problem hearing Rachel out for sure, but he had questions of his own. "You disappeared without a word for months, and then you just pop up out of the blue like this? We were all worried about you, you know? Why didn't you bother contacting any of us all this time?"

"Oh? Is that so? You were all worried for me?" Rachel feigned interest.

"Well…yeah? We're your friends, aren't we, Rachel?"

Such a notion was nice, she supposed, but also a bit odd to her. If she was being perfectly honest, she didn't particularly care for anyone she had worked with over the years—even her closer comrades that earned her respect such as select members of the Six Heroes. Of course it wasn't like Rachel would ever wish harm upon anyone who didn't deserve it, but as far as she could recall she never gave the impression that she was anyone's friend.

There was no one on this Earth that she tolerated enough to invite over for tea, to put it in her terms specifically.

"Hm," Rachel hummed noncommittally. This was not a conversation she was looking to have regardless, but especially not when there was work to do. "Either way, that does not give you carte blanche to pry into the business of a lady. I was tending to my own affairs. That is all you need to know."

"That's…fine, I guess." Kagura couldn't claim to know Rachel the best, but he knew when not to challenge her on things—which was most of the time. "Well, what brings you out to my neck of the woods then? You miss me? Because I can definitely clear my schedule if you are looking to _catch up_."

Rachel wasn't sure what disgusted her more, his suggestive tone or the wink he threw in. The idea of teleporting as far away as possible didn't sound too bad right about now. She could even whip up a nice little whirlwind on his desk as a parting gift. Alas, she knew the black knight was her best hope. There was no one else in the world who possessed an innumerable amount of resources at their fingertips, nor someone so willing to help a woman in need, so Rachel decided she would just have to grit her teeth and bear with it.

It did not mean however that she was the least bit happy about it, though.

"Bite your tongue, Mutsuki. I am not here so you may stroke your already over inflated ego. I need your assistance in locating a particular sword that was taken from my possession." Rachel explained.

"A…sword? What do you need a sword for?" Kagura had to admit it wasn't the first thing he would guess Rachel would need help in finding.

"What I need it for is none of your business. I have not the time, nor the patience to loiter around your office, so will you help me or not?" Rachel snapped.

That was a reaction that threw Kagura off. Despite not speaking with Rachel much in the short time they knew each other, even he could tell something was off, for if there was one thing he had an eye for detail for it was women. The vampire was always the calmest person he ever met, and that list included a beastkin who taught herself to turn off her emotions for crying out loud, but this was a very different Rachel standing before him today. She seemed very frazzled to say the least—if her particularly short temper was any indicator. Kagura would even guess that she was lacking sleep based on the way she was carrying herself. It was plain as day that something was distressing Rachel, and Kagura would be damned if it wasn't going to do everything in his power to help her.

"Chill, Madame Rachel." Kagura put on his best soothing voice as he took a step forward. "I was just a little curious, that's all. Of course I'll help you."

"With no strings attached?" Rachel didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but this was Kagura after all.

"Nah, nothing like that. We are friends after all, right?"

"I…suppose. Thank you, Kagura."

"It's my pleasure, but if you really wanted to, you could answer one question for me."

"And what might that be?" Rachel sighed.

"Nothing much, just a little curious what the deal is with this sword of yours. That's all."

Rachel regarded Kagura for a moment. To anyone else it would have been a rather simple request, but to Rachel it felt at least somewhat an invasion of her privacy. The personal goings on of her life were only for her, and at most Valkenhayn, to know. Even so, so long as she kept it vague, Rachel did feel compelled to speak for a change. Just saying it aloud will help make this whole situation feel more real, she told herself.

"If you must know, the sword belonged to...a dear companion of mine. Someone I am not currently in contact with, and sometime early this very morning it was stolen out from under my nose." Rachel explained. "This blade is currently my only connection to him and it is vital I have it returned to me as soon as possible."

"Someone dear? To you?" Kagura probably should've reigned back the disbelief in his tone, but he really was surprised. Understandably surprised or not, it didn't stop Rachel from glaring at him. "W-What I mean is, uh, whoever this person is they must be pretty amazing! Anyone I might know?"

"I can't imagine." Rachel could only answer so much and still be honest. The odds were that Kagura didn't know this man anyway.

"Well, why don't you tell me about them? Could help in tracking the thing down, don't you think?" Kagura pressed. He wasn't going to say it to keep Rachel from slapping him silly, but he had to admit to himself he was a tad curious how he would stack up to a guy that Rachel considered dear.

"…All I can say for sure is they are a man." Rachel was actually beginning to feel embarrassed. This whole ordeal must've sounded rather ridiculous to anyone other than her.

"That's really all? Like, seriously?" Kagura didn't make Rachel feel any better with the obvious disbelief dripping from his voice. "Because I'm not gonna lie, Miss Rachel, that—"

"And what of it?" Rachel had more than enough of idle chit chat with the young revolutionary and was ready to complete the task she came for in the first place.

"N-Nothing! Nothing at all!" Luckily, Kagura got the message loud and clear.

"Good," Rachel said as she stepped forward. Producing the picture she drew of the sword earlier from her pocket, Rachel held it out for Kagura to see. "This is exactly what the weapon looks like down to every nick, scratch and imperfection. Will this suffice in aiding to my search?"

"Yeah, just give me a second." Kagura took the picture from Rachel's hand and stepped around to his desk. He started up an Ars Magus scanner attached to his computer as he reviewed the sketch. "Damn, this is good. Didn't realize you were such a talented artist, Milady. Remind me to look you up the next time I gotta get one of those silly portraits done. I'll even let you pick the pose."

"Understand this, Kagura, I can tell you are quite desperate for a mercy kill to escape your multitude of work, but I will not accommodate you until after you exhaust your use to me."

"Ah…remind me to stay useful then." Kagura muttered. Apparently Rachel was flirt proof.

Thanks to the quite literal magic of modern technology, it only took a mere moment for Kagura to have the image saved on his computer. Lifting the paper from his scanner, Kagura returned the picture to Rachel. She was quick to fold the drawing and return it to her pocket.

"So, what's gonna happen is I'm going to circulate that picture among my men posted at all stations, NOL Branches, the whole nine yards. I'll make sure that if anyone sees that thing that I know about it a second later. How does that sound to you?"

"Perfect." Rachel had to admit it, when the man applied himself, Kagura could get work done.

"And just to be sure, do you know anything else that could be helpful? Anything besides that it's possibly a male subject we are watching for here?"

"Unfortunately, no." Rachel murmured. "I would estimate is that it is likely still in the Ikaruga territory, if you don't mind utilizing my assumptions. It was not stolen too long ago, so the perpetrator should not have been able to make it very far."

"Every little bit helps, Miss Rachel, and don't you worry either. Just count on your man Kagura to get this taken care of."

"I didn't come to you to hear big talk, Kagura. I am here for results."

"And you'll get them. As soon as I hear word of it, so will you. Oh!" A noticeably happy realization plastered itself across Kagura's face as he gave Rachel another wink. "Of course, if I'm gonna contact you I will need some digits, right?"

Violence was never the answer, Rachel had to remind herself. No matter how easily she could kill Kagura on the spot and escape scot free, such an action would simply be counterproductive. This was all to find her treasured sword, and hopefully, mercifully bring her closer to finding the owner of said weapon as well. Kagura sure seemed to be making it a point to push her today though.

"Give me a piece of paper and pen before I regret it." Rachel said through gritted teeth.

Within a millisecond, Kagura produced a tiny black book from his pocket and placed it on his desk after flipping to an empty page. Rachel apprehensively took the pen he held out to her and quickly jotted down the numbers necessary for reaching her. Rachel closed the little booklet and held it out to Kagura, but drew it just out of reach before he could grab it.

"If you, for whatever reason, attempt to contact me for any other matters then ones pertaining to this sword at any time ever, I will send Valkenhayn to castrate you personally. Am I abundantly clear?"

"Crystal," Kagura grinned, clearly undeterred as he grabbed his book back. He certainly wasn't planning anything nefarious, but Kagura could take some pride in having the personal phone number of the Queen of Vampires.

"For the sake of Valkenhayn's time I certainly hope so." Rachel said as she slowly distanced herself from Kagura and his desk. "Also understand that this is a very private matter for me, Kagura. Excited though you may be, I expect you to keep my business to yourself. I don't need anyone else prying into my affairs."

"Your wish is my command, Miss Rachel. Though if I may ask, what exactly are you going to do now?"

"If you must know, which I shall stress you don't, I will be continuing my search."

"What? Why bother? I told you, my boys got this. In fact…" Kagura's tone was light and playful as he hustled over to a minibar he kept in his office. "Why don't you hang around for a little while? Everybody needs a some downtime now and again, right? Check it, I'll pop open a bottle of wine, I'll ring Hibiki to whip us up some food, and I don't mean to brag but I've been told I give a hell of a shiatsu massage that is out of this world. So, why don't—"

"Mutsuki."

"Yeah?"

"Truly ripping out your tongue will suffice in providing me mild stress relief, correct?" Rachel had had more than enough of the colonel to last several thousand time loops, and if she was going to get any use out of him she would have to leave immediately or she really would bludgeon him to death.

"Y-Yeah... I'll shut up. Sorry about that..." Kagura didn't even realize how badly he lost his cool. He supposed his long drought of contact with women compounded by Rachel's well above average looks and surprising figure left him a little wound up. "Although, if you don't mind, do you have a second for some advice?" Kagura offered.

"If you must..."

"Go home and get some rest." He stated.

Rachel stared curiously at the man and was mildly surprised to see how serious the black knight looked.

Kagura continued. "I don't know if this is just a one day thing or not, but you seem pretty exhausted. Like I said, just trust me and I'll make sure things get handled. Someone as beautiful as you shouldn't be running herself ragged like this after all."

Kagura certainly meant that last part as a compliment, perhaps hoping to lift Rachel's spirits a bit, but she was more annoyed than anything—as anyone else might have guessed. Still, there was some truth to his words. Months upon months of searching around prior notwithstanding, this day alone had left her quite drained. If she was going to stay even remotely sharp in her search, a quick power nap would likely do her some good.

Sparing Kagura a final glance, Rachel said, "I do hope my trust is not misplaced, Kagura."

And before the man could offer a reply, Rachel was gone and found herself in her room once more. She approached her window and looked out at the full moon shining down on her. As nice as a bit of rest sounded to her, Rachel knew there was a good chance it would avail her nothing. If her nights as of late were proof of anything, it was that receiving a proper rest was a challenge in and of itself. Stripping off her clothes and slipping into nightwear as she approached her bed, Rachel could only hope that a sound sleep was waiting for her.

Even better if that sleep was accompanied by dreams of him.

* * *

# **HACKEDBOI! YO IMMA BE LOST AT SEA NEXT MONTH WITH THE CRIB AND SINCE THIS NIGGA CANT EDIT FO' SHIT AND I GOTTA DO ALL DA HARD WORK THE NEXT CHAP AINT GONNA COME OUT FOR A LITTLE WHILE SO PEACE OUT.**


	5. Stumbling Down Memory Lane

**Yeah, sorry to everyone who was waiting for this. The delay was a bit longer than expected. In defense of both me and my editor at least part of the delay was due to the fact we were too busy reading Berserk because it's the best.**

 **As always, a big thanks goes to my editor, Murder Media, for taking the time to look it over.**

 **And I of course do not own BlazBlue. I hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

Ragna was easily stirred from his sleep as soon as he felt the train begin to slow down—years of surviving in the wild does that to a person after all, but it was the screeching of the wheels and the blaring horn that made him rise to his feet. He was pretty eager to finally get out of that stuffy boxcar and get to work on his search. Taking a split second to let his eyes adjust to the dark, Ragna peered to his side to spy a door at the end of the cabin. Seeing as Bang was so ready to suggest he should go train hopping, Ragna didn't imagine he would get in much trouble for doing so, but at the same time he didn't want to waste his time explaining things to any soldiers who would surely be posted around. Thinking back to what Bang told him, Ragna knew he was going to have to move fast if Tager and Bullet weren't going to be hanging around Yabiko much longer.

Striding to the back of the car, Ragna easily forced open the exit door and stepped outside—the bright rays of sunlight forcing him to squint and allow his vision to focus before he was able to take in his surroundings. He wasn't about to admit it to anyone out loud, but Ragna felt a bit paranoid about going to sleep. Technically speaking, he was already inside his dream, and if he was inside his dream dreaming another dream…well, the thought alone made Ragna's head spin. He just didn't want reality bending due to some silly dream he had. He didn't want to wake up and be a ghost ship captain, or some other ridiculous alternate world he had no business or desire to be in. The thought of accidentally launching himself into another world without the small handful of people he actually cared for sent a shiver down his spine. Talk about a waste of all the effort he put into saving the world if something like that happened.

He wouldn't mind having his crazy god powers go rogue and make Rachel spontaneously pop up in front of him though. Probably not the best for the fabric of reality but, whatever— he was already bending the rules a bit as is. Setting those thoughts aside, Ragna took a second to look over the cityscape before him. He didn't spend a great amount of time in Yabiko, but he didn't remember the particular station he found the train pulling in to.

"Jeez," Ragna clicked his tongue. "This looks like a place you'd see in Kagutsuchi. Kagura must be slacking off on upkeep these days. Bastard's probably busy chasing ass as usual."

Still, it made no difference to Ragna either way, so he was quick to hop off the train and land on the platform as soon as he was able. He then hid behind a pillar, mainly out of habit than anything else, as he scanned the area and the people within it. There were plenty of folks out and about around the station, and no shortage of NOL soldiers either. He guessed that there had to be at least fifty civilians and a handful of officers, prompting Ragna to nearly devise a sort of half-assed escape plan to remain more or less undetected by any of them until he reminded himself that he basically didn't need to do so anymore. Without a reason to sneak around, and no reason to throw on a Camouflage Ars, Ragna strode out of the station and made a beeline for the main exit. He could still feel a few sets of eyes following him as he left, but Ragna guessed that it was a given. He had to admit that he was a pretty flashy looking guy to begin with thanks to his hair and eyes so people were bound to stare. Even so, with the way things were now, it wasn't like he had to worry about anyone making a move on him. It was pretty much the only perk that went along with the whole 'nonexistence' thing.

Stepping around civilians blocking his way, Ragna began to consider his options. He had no idea what exactly the mission Tager and Bullet were on was about, or who ordered it, or anything at all really. Seeing as they had close ties, Ragna's first guess was that it had to be that Kokonoe was loaning them to Kagura for something. If that were the case, loitering around the NOL Branch was one option. They would have to check back in at some point or another. Something about that plan didn't sit right with Ragna though—probably the lack of action involved. Sitting around and simply waiting for something to happen was never his style. The second area that came to mind was the downtown district. Any mission those two wrecking balls were going to be a part of would surely have to be away from the nicer districts, so downtown was a decent option too. One thing was for sure, Hierarchical Cities were big as hell and that meant he had plenty of ground to cover. The only upside was that Tager should be easy to spot. Maybe even some of the locals saw him.

That's right. Keep positive. He got his lead thanks to Bang, so he had to seize the opportunity. He was determined to turn things around as soon as he set off on that train, so it was time to get to work.

And thankfully his "work" could be done in broad daylight now. He didn't have to worry about spooking people as the big bad Grim Reaper anymore. He was just Ragna—another citizen like anyone else.

"You there, Sir!"

Ragna peered over his shoulder to see what voice had called him, and almost instantly grimaced when he noticed it was an NOL officer who had shouted his way.

Maybe it was for someone else. It had to be.

"Sir! The man in the red coat! I'm talking to you!"

Lots of guys wore long, red coats. Perfectly common. Wouldn't hurt to pick up the pace though.

"Will the gentleman with the red coat, white hair and sword please halt!"

Alright. That one was pretty specific. Which meant it was time to hoof it. Ragna had no idea why they were already looking to harass him, but he didn't care. He didn't play with the dogs of Library back in the day, and he wasn't about to start now.

"Hey! Stop that guy!"

Yet, of course, the NOL were as determined as ever when it came to annoying him. Three soldiers stepped up to block his path just as he was nearing the exit of the station. It didn't make a lick of sense, but of course these assholes would be the only ones to actually remember him. It was simply fantastic to see his luck was holding out the same as always.

"Sir, I was speaking to you, you know!" The NOL soldier who was calling out to Ragna said as he closed in. Ragna took note that three more soldiers accompanied the man who was addressing him—seven soldiers in all and their body language seemed to imply they were intending to surround him. A fat lot of good that was going to do them. If he had a mind to he could probably get them all with one swing. Lucky for them he wasn't in that kind of mood.

"Hm? Oh, must've missed it. Place is loud, you know?" Ragna drawled without turning to face the man. "Was this anything important? I kinda have places to be and don't really got the time to be playing twenty questions."

"Excuse me?" The soldier questioned—clearly not used to having someone so openly disobey him. Ragna mused over how easy it must've been to be a soldier of the NOL without him around, and surely no one else would've or could've taken up the mantle of 'Grim Reaper' other than him.

"I asked what your excuse was for wasting my time. Not everyone can kick it around a train station all day. I got shit to do."

"Hey, listen here punk—" One of the soldiers behind Ragna moved to step up, but was stopped by someone Ragna assumed to be his superior officer.

"I understand you have things you want to do, but you have to come with us first. It won't take long." An older soldier spoke as they positioned themselves in front of Ragna.

"You really gonna make me ask 'why' again?"

"It's in regards to that weapon you're carrying."

"My weapon…?" Ragna questioned as he glanced down at the BloodScythe. He couldn't imagine what they would want with that beat-up hunk of metal—it's not like it ever had any magical properties or anything like that. He could only assume that maybe there was some new strict law about carrying weapons around or something. Ragna did notice he didn't see too many armed individuals walking around. Not as many as he would've expected to see before at any rate. Either way…

"Sorry, but that's not my problem." Ragna spoke with minor impatience, noticeably annoying the soldiers surrounding him.

"Well, sir, I'm sorry but one way or another you will be coming with us."

"You guys are so goddamn persistent." A growl snuck into Ragna's voice. It was almost funny how big their egos got when someone didn't come along and massacre a bunch of them once in awhile, and as much as Ragna would love to give them a reality check, he had way more important matters to tend to. "Look, I already got held up once, and I'm not putting up with it again. Maybe I'll come back if I have the time, but for now I'm leaving and you can't stop me."

Ragna's bravado was all the soldiers needed to grab hold of their respective weapons and spread out to completely surround him.

"Seven of you versus one of me, huh? That's not very fair..." Ragna chuckled as he gripped the handle of the Blood-Scythe. "You're gonna need a few more hundreds if you're actually serious about this."

"Talk all you want, but we got you outnumbered and outclassed." The soldier spoke again as he placed his hand on Ragna's left arm, probably thinking he could stop Ragna from swinging his sword. "Stand down now, or we will begin using force. This is your final warning."

Ragna glanced down at the hand gripping his arm. "Yeah, so here's the thing about that…I don't like being touched, but I've been trying this whole thing where I'm nicer, so I'm gonna give you one chance to take your hand off me before I break it."

"Have it your way. Men, detain the—AAAAH!" The soldier wasn't able to give his order, because Ragna reached over with his right hand and grabbed the man's arm that was holding his. He really didn't apply that much pressure either—well, by his standards anyway. Apparently it was plenty to snap bones though.

"Sir?! What's wrong?!" Another soldier called out to their superior.

"He…he's s-so strong!"

"What's the matter? You don't like that?" Ragna spoke slowly as he lazily lifted the soldier's hand off his arm and raised it slightly in the air. "Hate to say it, but if you don't like that, you're really gonna get really upset about this."

Without pause, Ragna took his now freed left hand and drove it into the man's elbow while keeping his grip steady with his right hand. The surrounding soldiers gasped in horror when they saw their superior's arm bend at an unnatural angle from the force of Ragna's attack, but they were drowned out by the man's shriek of pain.

"Good grief…" Ragna groaned as the man dropped down to his knees, still screaming. "I warned you, didn't I?"

"Y-You bastard! You'll pay for that!" Another soldier in front of Ragna moved to charge forward in an attempt to save his commanding officer. Ragna gave the advancing soldier nothing more than a glance before driving his foot into the man with the broken arm—his kick powerful enough to send the man flying into the attacking soldier and launch them both through the air before crashing into a bench and smashing it into pieces. The display of power was enough to give the remaining soldiers enough sense to back off a few paces, and also render every last person in the station to begin a panic.

All it took was that one instance where Ragna dispatched the two guards to gain the attention of every civilian in the station and send the masses scrambling every which way, screaming in fear. It was strange for Ragna—being surrounded by chaos almost felt nostalgic for him as messed up as that was. The nostalgia nearly made Ragna completely drop his guard, but luckily he didn't exactly need it up in this situation. These greenhorns weren't about to put the most dangerous man in the world down with a lucky shot. Though they apparently still had no issue with trying.

"Get him! Don't let up!"

One soldier charged him dead on while another circled around from the back. The soldier in front of him lashed out with a sword, but faster than the NOL operative could ever hope to move, Ragna swung Blood-Scythe in an upward motion and knocked the operative's sword away harmlessly. The young man didn't even have time to process what had happened before Ragna brought his arm back down and knocked him unconscious with an elbow strike to the head. Following through with his momentum, Ragna swung the sword behind him and blocked another sword strike from the soldier who was attempting to hit him with a surprise attack, the criminal forcing the officer to stumble back a few paces as he turned to face him. The guard, now panicked, attempted a second strike with the sword but instead of using his Blood-Scythe, Ragna opted to stop the attack his is bear right hand.

"W-Wha…?!" The soldier stared at the blade of his sword as Ragna closed his fist around it, the metal cracking and shattering under his fingers like brittle ice before falling to the pavement in a cluster of shards. The man, taken aback by Ragna's inhuman strength, didn't even bother to defend himself when Ragna's heel collided with his temple—making him crumple to the ground harmlessly.

"Halfway there… Hm?" Ragna glanced back when he felt a weight come down on his shoulder. Behind him stood another, terrified guard who had attempted to harm him with an Ars infused battle hammer. The sudden pressure had made him flinch but both the weapon and the user were far too weak for Ragna to experience any sort of pain. "Whoops. That was kinda sloppy of me. Still getting used to having a body again, I guess."

The man didn't have the chance to react as Ragna lunged forward and drove his fist into his gut. The sheer force of the punch lifted the man off the ground and knocked all of the wind out of him. He had passed out before Ragna let his body drop back to the ground with a thud.

Turning back around, Ragna sized up the only two remaining opponents before him—one being a man shaking in his boots and the other a blue haired woman staring at Ragna in awe. Apparently, these people weren't used to seeing fighters of Ragna's caliber. Slowly stalking forward, Ragna decided he would let them get a real good idea of what he was capable of first hand. It was made clear which of the remaining two was more capable when the blue haired girl took a step forward.

"Stay behind me! I'll handle this." She spoke with confidence but hesitation was clear in her eyes.

"Wait! I-I'm not sure if you should go at him head on, Mai!" The male officer shouted.

"It's not a problem!" The younger woman shouted back.

"Seriously?" Ragna stopped his approach and raised an eyebrow at the man cowering behind her. "You buy that?"

"I... I…" The man only stuttered out so much before the stress seemingly became too much and he passed out on the spot.

"H-Hey!" The blue haired girl moved to check the guy after he face planted into the ground next to her.

"Well, guess that answers that." Ragna spoke up, grabbing the attention of the final soldier. "You maybe just wanna follow his lead and save me the trouble?"

"Not a chance!" The woman apparently named 'Mai' yelled as she readied her spear. "I'm not scared of you!"

"Whatever you say. This can be a learning experience for you then."

The girl charged forward and thrust her spear towards Ragna's head. One stab after another, the girl kept her strikes coming, but Ragna avoided them all with virtually no effort. Whoever this girl was she was faster than most, Ragna would admit, but she was still basically moving in slow motion to him. Avoiding another swipe, he took note that the girl did a quick hop back, and he could already see where she was going with it. This girl may have been a step above the rest of her group, but Ragna was still worlds apart.

Ragna raised his fist, intent on finishing things.

As soon as the girl went for a big lunge, Ragna surged forward as well, letting the tip of the spear sail harmlessly pass his head as his fist collided with her face. It was then as Ragna felt the girl's nose break under the force of his punch did he realize what he was doing. He somehow got totally wrapped up in a little scrap and nearly lost track of the reason he came to Yabiko in the first place. Ragna came to a stop and glanced back at the girl. When Ragna's attack stopped her dead in her tracks, her forward momentum caused her to flip through the air and slam into the ground a few paces away from him—her spear clattering to the floor a bit further from her.

He kept his eye on her a moment to make sure she was down, but to also make sure she was still breathing. Luckily he managed to hold back enough because the girl was apparently still alive despite the very inelegant way she fell, her body twitching a little when she finally hit the ground. He felt a little bad about punching a girl though since they were always so fragile to begin with, but she saw what he was capable of and attacked anyway.

Hopefully she took this as a learning experience after all.

Still, no use crying over spilt milk. Now in an empty station with a handful of unconscious soldiers littered around him, it would be very clear what would happened should reinforcements show up. Throwing on a quick Camouflage Ars he should've been able to avoid from using, Ragna was quick to escape the station before anyone else tried to pick a fight with him. Finally able to exit the building and take off down the road, Ragna spotted a group of people that gathered outside, clearly drawn in by the action. People sure worked quick, Ragna thought. The fight, if you could call it that, only ended up lasting about a minute or two, tops. Hopefully not too many people got a look at him, and that those soldiers stay out for a while. He didn't need people hunting him down like the old days.

Taking a second to stop to regain his bearings, Ragna couldn't help but kick himself over his behavior. This certainly wasn't the first time he let his temper get the better of him, sure, but it still sometimes bothered him that he gets so lost in fights. It's not like he would go berserk like Azrael or something… Most of the time anyway. But he had to remember there was a time and a place for everything. He couldn't help but think a part of him was sure Rachel would scold him over getting in such pointless brawls, but he guessed this was a merely a testament to how much Rachel had rubbed off on him. At least when it came to his own actions he could probably guess word for word the things she would say to him.

His impression of her could probably use some work though. She was never a fan of it at least.

One thing for sure, his impression wasn't going to get any better until after he found her, so that meant it was time to move. Reapplying his Camouflage Ars just to be sure, Ragna took off on a L-shaped path down connecting a few connecting alleyways. Yabiko became more and more familiar as he moved further into the city. Although that little scuffle had slowed him down, Ragna reasoned that with his speed he should be able to reach the downtown district before too long. From there, so long as his hunch was right, it would just be a matter of time tracking down Tager and Bullet. In the meantime, he was going to have to get his story down for when he talks to Kokonoe. No matter how nice things could be for her these days, Kokonoe was sure to still be the same unreasonable bitch as always. People don't change that easily, especially when you are as stubborn an asshole as she was. He would find a way though. Hopefully he can just play nice, maybe play the Bang card with Bullet to gain some trust, but Ragna knew what he would do if push came to shove.

He had strong armed Kokonoe before, and he was perfectly capable of doing it again.

* * *

"Do not interfere, Grimalkin!"

And with a roar of effort, Hakumen dispelled the Phenomenon Intervention attempting to move him.

"Shit!" Kokonoe's voice rang out. "Hey, you! Get out of there! You can't beat him!"

Whoever she was calling to was obscured by the smokescreen kicked up by Hakumen's wave of energy—who was now approaching the figure in the smoke with blade in hand.

"Now I will end this—"

"Shut the hell up." The man in the smoke rose to his feet, but could still not be seen. "I didn't climb up this damn mountain…just to lose to you!"

The man raised his right hand, the back of the hand facing out to Hakumen.

"I made a promise that I would fight until the very end! Now, let's do this! You masked bitch!"

With a roar of his own that completely dwarfed Hakumen's, a red aura exploded from the man dispelling the smoke…

And woke Rachel up.

Just as nearly every night before, Rachel was shaken from her slumber just when she was on the verge of regaining some semblance of her memory. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Rachel turned to her side roughly and buried her face in her hands. She almost wanted to be happy—this dream seemed to bring her so much closer to him than all the others had, but kept her just out of reach like all the rest. This one had a very mocking tone to it however, as if it was as if an actual feature of this memory was obscuring the man, and not just her own fatigued mind playing tricks on her.

Be calm, think logically, Rachel told herself. As little as it was, and as much as the frustration was giving her a headache, she was making progress. Hearing the voice in the forest the day before seems to have left enough of an impression on her to make a return in her dreams. At the moment, the actual sound of the voice escaped her once again, but the scene itself struck such a chord within her soul this time. This man, the owner of the sword, was fighting Hakumen. While they were never friends, or particularly cared for each other, the White Knight and herself had always been on the same side. Yet, when she was watching, she found herself rooting for the mystery man in her dreams. When that man stood, defiant of Hakumen, she felt her heart pounding with an excitement that she had not felt since...

Actually, she doesn't believe she has ever felt such a rush.

If that was how the owner of the sword made her feel all the time, then it's no wonder she felt so attached to him, but it worried her if it was a double-edged sword or not. It was like she was actually missing a part of her very being by not knowing who he was, but on the other hand to experience such emotion yet again invigorated her to get him back. Rachel rolled and returned to her back as she considered her next move. There was one last gift her latest mess of a dream gave her, and that was a location. Prior to witnessing the encounter with Hakumen, Rachel saw one place laid out after each other as if they were stages in a show and they were all in the same place.

The 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi.

Everything from the sewers, to the NOL Branch, and back down to the Cauldron appeared in her dream like she was on some sort of tour and it gave her pause. Kagutsuchi was the first coherent thing to appear in her jumbled dreams for months now. Did it mean that it was some sort of sign? She felt as though doing something as silly as letting her dream guide her did not bode well for her mental state, but with her memory being so unreliable these days perhaps this was her subconscious trying to tell her something. It would certainly make no progress in terms of tracking down the sword, but perhaps simply trusting her instinct would do some good. Wracking her brain for months on end certainly hasn't yielded much.

"To hell with this…" Rachel mumbled, already feeling another foul mood taking hold of her.

She had her faithful servants out scouring the globe on her behalf, and if Kagura could deliver on half of what he promised then she should be able to take a quick detour.

Having made up her mind, Rachel tossed her comforter aside and rose to her feet. With the same dull, repetitive routine she had done the day before, Rachel made her way to her armoire and grabbed her clothing for the day, though she decided to save the shower for later that evening since she wasn't in the greatest mood to spend a good hour or so dry her hair today. It was foolish to think this way, but the vampire was worried that if she waited too long then whatever feeling that was drawing her to Kagutsuchi would fade away.

And so with that thought in mind, and having finished preparing herself or the day, Rachel found herself standing in Orient Town courtesy of a quick teleportation.

Rachel stepped out of the alley she found herself in and scanned up and down the road. The city truly never changed no matter how many times she was there. Always the same run down streets that the locals would surely label as 'charm'. Turning her eyes to the horizon, Rachel began her stroll down the sidewalk praying something of use would find its way out of her frazzled mind. It amazed her how a wretched city such as Kagutsuchi served as the stage for so many grand events in history, Rachel mused. For whatever reason, that fiend Terumi decided this site would be appropriate to begin the final act of their war. Over the course of a mere week he had smelted his Kusanagi, revived Nine as his pawn, successfully outsmarted Takamagahara, and dragged the Goddess of Death herself into the fray. The situation would have been dire were it not for the return of Hakumen. Yes, quite possibly the only thing Kokonoe did right, salvaging Hakumen from the Boundary meant they had a fighting chance once more. Although, of course Rachel had to be the one to bring him back to the frontlines where he belonged as opposed to letting his skill and power go to waste as a simple battery. All Rachel had been missing was an ace, and once she had Hakumen leading the charge, she had managed to successfully guide the others to victory over Terumi. The final battle had unfortunately cost Hakumen his life in the process, but she knew he held no regrets. It was his strength that that saved the world after all. Such was the fate of a hero.

These were the events that Rachel knew to be true, or rather, what she wanted to believe for it would be so much simpler that way.

Whether it was for better or worse, Rachel was never able to shake the suspicion that history was not what they all believed it to be, and of course that man was to blame. He played a vital role in some regard, that much she was sure of, but now she was unsure of what that role could be thanks to her latest dream. Hakumen was undoubtedly an ally to her cause, but he had apparently crossed swords with her mystery man.

Rachel raised her gaze to the NOL Branch in the distance and observed it a moment before lowering it once more so she could think.

The battle between that man and Hakumen had taken place on the outer rim of a Cauldron, and if it took place in Kagutsuchi that meant it wasn't long after Hakumen was freed from the Boundary. If anything it was very soon after his arrival due to the fact it seemed as though Kokonoe was still attempting to capture him in her dream. Could that man have possibly been assisting Kokonoe? If she was still trusting her instinct, the answer was a resounding no. The brief exchange Kokonoe had with that man implied they were very unfamiliar with each other. Which meant she was still left with the crucial question of why the man she supposedly cherished would have such a serious fight with Hakumen. It's not as though Hakumen was ever one to pick fights lightly—he was always dead set on hunting down those he deemed a true threat to the world.

If she was in such pain over the absence of a man who desired the destruction of the world she loved, that would be a very cruel twist of fate, Rachel thought.

It then occurred to Rachel that her dream had actually given her a clue as to who that man was at least. Perhaps she could not, or didn't want to, draw any conclusions on what that man was after, but she did learn something about his strength from the standoff she witnessed. The man she was searching for must have been exceedingly powerful if he had managed to stand on equal footing with Hakumen. Only a select handful of individuals could've laid claim to such a feat after all. Perhaps it was just her now unreliable imagination, but she even felt as though that man would have defeated Hakumen. There was a strong possibility that was merely because she was rooting for the mystery man, though she knew not why. She found herself completely enthralled when that man stood and declared he wasn't going to lose.

She knew it was going to bother her to no end to not know who won that battle.

"Meow…so hungry…" A voice whined quietly.

Rachel's ears twitched when she heard the muffled cry of a girl decades younger than her prowl near her feet, prompting the older woman to briefly stare down at what was near her before quickly shooting her gaze towards the NOL building to avoid eye contact with who it was. Judging from the excessive "mews" and "meows" that erupted from the pile of clothes that covered the teenager, Rachel could only guess who it was that managed to strike her attention, and was quick to leave before being stopped by the imbecilic Kaka once more.

"Meow…?"

Without so much as blinking, Rachel took a single, graceful step over Taokaka's body and completely circumvented the roadblock in her path without breaking stride.

"Hey! Tao said meow!"

Stopping in her tracks, Rachel glanced back over her shoulder and addressed Tao with a bored look. The young member of the Kaka Clan was clearly out begging for scraps again.

"Yes, I heard you despite my sincerest efforts. For the next time you wish to speak with someone I suggest you use your words like a big girl. You are no longer a kitten so there is no need to act as such. Now, good day."

"Hold on a second, lady!" Tao yelled as she rushed ahead to block Rachel's path once more. "You can't just walk away from a starving person! That's bad manners!"

"Is a creature such as yourself actually accusing myself of having bad manners? Perhaps I am not the only one going mad these days…" Rachel let the last part trail off, though it wasn't as if Tao was paying close enough attention. "If you are oh so hungry, why not return to your village or visit that doctor? Her clinic is not far from here."

"You know the boobie lady, rabbit person?" Tao question as she tilted her head to the side, utterly perplexed. Clearly Tao did not remember her, Rachel mused though it was completely unsurprising. "Tao can't go back though! Every time Tao tries to get food from the boobie lady, that means little shorty hogs all the grub! Why can't you feed me, rabbit person?"

Rachel openly groaned as she massaged her temples. She just did _not_ have the energy to deal with Tao right now, the cat's antics bringing back the pain in Rachel's skull in force. Not that she ever particularly cared to entertain Tao, but now less than ever. Setting Tao with the sternest look she could muster, Rachel opened her mouth to tell Tao 'no' as simple and straightforward as possible so that even she could understand.

"A white-haired fellow with a stupid face will be arriving here soon. You should ask him."

"Nyah? Really?"

"…I…what?"

In a split second, it was as though Rachel had an out of body experience. The words she spoke were automatic, leaving her mouth before she even realized what she was saying. What alarmed her most was the thing she said was so specific, so very exact—as if she spoke those words before. Rachel clutched her chest as the pace of her heartbeat picked up frantically and her mind worked overtime to piece together the connection she knew had to be there. She saw visions of Kagutsuchi, that man fought Hakumen here, and now here she was unconsciously speaking familiar words as if she was in this situation before.

Could it mean…?

"Hey, you okay, rabbit person? Are you hungry too? You don't look so good." Tao leaned in, unintentionally invading Rachel's personal space, out of apparent concern. Rachel, however, only spared the cat a glance before summoning a stack of platinum dollars to her hand and offering it to Tao.

"Here. This should be more than enough to feed even the likes of you."

"Wow! All for Tao!?" Tao cheered as she swiped the cash. "Thanks, rabbit person! Tao thinks you're a good girl!"

Rachel pinched Tao's ear and gave it a yank. "None of that. Run along now."

"Rodger dodger!" Tao, quick to shake off Rachel's mild scolding, never needing to be told twice when it came to stuffing her face, and took off down the street to do just that, the cat girl leaving only a trail of smoke behind her.

Finally alone, Rachel attempted once more to make sense of this shocking turn of events. This was progress—the first bit of real progress she made in months and it was almost overwhelming, evident due to the throbbing behind her eyes intensifying. She was ready to push her mind further and further if it meant finally having the breakthrough she desperately craved for so long now. He had been here in Kagutsuchi after all, and she directed Tao to him for some reason, but why? Why would she direct Tao to this man for food? Was he just the kind of man who would feed a total stranger that easily? The sudden revelation was giving Rachel an adrenaline rush, but at the same time a vicious migraine was threatening to push her back down. It was like she was fighting against her own mind to recall anything else—reaching out for answers but only being rewarded another wave of pain throughout her skull.

It wasn't about to stop her though. Rachel had experience pain far worse in the past. She refused to give up on her lead.

Taking off in a full sprint, Rachel made her way to the upper levels of Kagutsuchi while making sure to observe every small detail of her surroundings. She didn't know if there was anything left of value in the lower levels, but she would be damned if she missed a single thing that could possibly drag out more of her memory. She was prepared to do anything necessary if it meant she could at long last gain back what she lost.

He was real, and slowly but surely a picture was forming.

He carried a broadsword, he was strong enough to face Hakumen, kind enough to feed a stranger, had white hair…

…And a stupid face.

* * *

 **For anyone worried, rest assured the next chapter will be up much quicker than this one. If anyone has something on their mind, they are welcome to review.**


	6. Dead Ends

**Full disclosure, this is the first chapter I've posted without extended editing. So if anyone sees any errors, feel free to point them out to me. As always, I hope you enjoy.**

 **I do not own BlazBlue.**

* * *

It was always a rather peculiar statue to her.

A massive, demon like, winged beast perched with a scythe in hand didn't exactly make for a pleasant atmosphere—anyone could see that. When you also considered how the general populace had previously viewed the NOL it was an especially odd choice to display such an image in the very center of the Hanging Gardens. Perhaps it was meant to only stand in opposition to the statues of Valkyrie and other winged knights that called the gardens their home. Even so, if that truly were the case, she thought they should change the demonic figure in some capacity. As it was now it almost looked majestic in its own unique way. That was the case in her eyes at any rate.

Rachel adjusted herself in her spot on the bench and let a weary sigh pass her lips as these more mundane thoughts crossed her mind. She had hoped the upper levels would shed more light on her revelations from the morning, yet no matter how many times she scanned the areas, her mind was utterly blank. After sneaking into the main cathedral and going as far as to look around the remains of the city's Cauldron, her search still availed her nothing. To think she had actually paced the outer rim of the Cauldron for nearly an hour doing nothing more than attempting to visualize the battle that would've taken place between that man and Hakumen… Rachel couldn't deny she had never done anything so ridiculous, and despite the fact that no one saw her, she felt incredibly embarrassed for doing so. When her repeated efforts were met with nothing but dead ends and headaches, she could only see herself as dreadfully foolish.

Despite the supposed breakthrough earlier that very day, Rachel once again had to ask herself if she was doing nothing more than chasing ghosts.

"Madame Rachel?" A calm voice abruptly spoke up.

The vampire visibly jumped in her seat when she was snapped out of her thoughts by her servant delicately placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Valkenhayn? When did you… How long have you been here?"

"...Milady," Valkenhayn began carefully with concern evident in his voice. "I had only arrived but a mere moment ago. I addressed you as soon as I appeared, but I must have been too quiet seeing as you did not seem to hear me. My sincerest apologies, Madame, due to my own carelessness I must have startled—"

"Never mind that, Valkenhayn." Rachel spoke bluntly. She had momentarily faltered, but after taking a second to compose herself, she rose to her feet with her indifferent mask in place as usual. Though Rachel appreciated the lengths Valkenhayn was willing to go to so he could defend her sanity, the last thing she wanted was to bring any attention to it at all. "I trust you have come to me with something important? Have you made some headway in your search, perhaps?"

"Alas, I regret to admit I have yet to track down the weapon you require. I will accept whatever form of punishment you deem fit for this blunder before I resume my duties, Milady." Valkenhayn spoke as he bowed accordingly.

"Think nothing of it and raise your head, Valkenhayn. If it is not about the sword, then what is it?"

"Well, if I am being perfectly forthright, I do not believe it is good news in the slightest. If anything, I found this development rather perplexing." Valkenhayn stroked his chin, clearly puzzled.

"Is that so? Do tell."

"I was out combing one of the Hierarchical Cities when I heard the telephone at the castle ringing. I do not know how he got the number, nor what he wants, but it was that Mutsuki boy insisting he speak with you. I told him to wait until I spoke with you directly."

"…Kagura?" Rachel felt herself daring to hope again, despite her pessimism from a moment ago.

"Indeed," Valkenhayn continued without catching the minor shift in Rachel's tone. "Though I must say, I know not how he managed to acquire the number for the Alucard Manor's telephone. If you deem such an action fitting, I will gladly pay the boy a visit and remind him of his inferior station, Madame Rachel."

It then occurred to Rachel that she had completely neglected to inform Valkenhayn that she recruited Kagura in her effort to track down the sword. Contrary to what the butler believed, this was actually a rather exciting call for Rachel to receive.

So long as Kagura wasn't wasting her time with any of his usual antics at least.

"No such thing will be required of you, Valkenhayn. Forgive me, but it entirely slipped my mind to make you aware that I had asked Kagura to assist in my search. I had given him the manor's number myself so he could contact me should he make any progress."

"Please, save your apologies, Madame." Valkenhayn said with another bow. "It was presumptuous of me to assume that lad could ever acquire the manor's phone number without your full awareness and permission. Would you like to take the call now, or would you rather I jot down a message?"

"Neither. Return to the castle and end the call. I will leave for Kagura's office in a moment. That will be all, Valkenhayn."

"At once, Milady." And with a final bow, Valkenhayn disappeared from Rachel's sight.

Alone again, the vampire took a moment to chastise herself. This now marked the second day in a row where Valkenhayn had accidentally snuck up on her, and such a fact did not sit well with her at all. This behavior was beginning to become so frequent that even Kagura saw through her during their last conversation. The Black Knight was definitely considered insightful by most, that much was certain, but it still irked Rachel that he managed to read her so easily. She would be sure to steel herself this time around.

Rachel took one last look at the NOL Branch looming over the Hanging Gardens. While it was wholly possible that today's events thus far have been nothing more than her own traitorous mind playing tricks on her, she did want to believe the events that transpired today were a sign she was moving in the right direction. Still, it seemed that Kagutsuchi had given her all the help it wanted to for the day. Now she could only hope she wasn't the only one who made some form of progress this day.

* * *

"Hello? Hello…?" Kagura starred at his phone before hanging it up, grumbling to himself. "Bastard hung up on me…"

"Kagura."

"Hm—Jeez!" Kagura flinched back after getting startled once again.

Rachel had to admit, she very much preferred to be the one doing the startling and not the other way around.

"Cease your fooling around and be out with it." Rachel said. "I trust you wouldn't summon me without something worthwhile to show for it. However, if that is not the case then rest assured Valkenhayn would be quite pleased to hear you had wasted my precious time."

Strolling around his desk, Kagura said, "Hey, have some faith, Miss Rachel, I told you I would handle it and I did. I'll have you know I have never been one to disappoint a lady. You wanted results, and I got 'em. Well, uh, sort of…"

"Sort of?" Rachel's gaze narrowed. "That is not what I wanted to hear, Kagura."

"It's cool, it's cool, really! It's just that…we got a good news, bad news situation going on here. Which do you want first?"

"Whichever ends this quicker, you dolt. I've already told you more than once I have no interest in playing your silly games." Rachel spat.

"Of course, so the good news is someone carrying the sword matching the picture you gave me showed up at a station here in Yabiko."

It took all of Rachel's self-control to keep her from shrieking in joy. Whether or not it was the owner of the sword himself, simply having that sword back in her rightful possession would do wonders for her disposition. Though it was not like she had been the picture of mental health these past few months, having that sword stolen had left her particularly on edge and she was ready to be rid of such a dreadful feeling. Still, her more sensible side had to remind her that Kagura had bad news to share as well.

"The bad news then?"

"We lost the guy." Kagura visibly cringed.

"…I beg your pardon?"

"Right, so here's what happened," Kagura began as he leaned against his desk. "This morning a guy appeared in one of our newer, makeshift stations we set up for the Ikaruga Restoration Program. If I had to guess, the guy just hopped the train. Anyway, he was approached by some NOL operatives we had on guard but instead of going along with them, the guy picked a fight."

"He fought back?" Rachel repeated. That could be evidence that it was nothing more than a common bandit who pilfered the sword. Being approached by NOL soldiers after taking something that did not belong to you would be enough to make anyone panic.

"Rachel, that isn't all. This guy, he actually won. There were seven senior officers posted at that station and he trashed them all—hard."

That caught Rachel's attention. It was not as though the bulk of NOL officers were as strong as the average citizen would believe, but based on Kagura's grim reaction to things, whoever this man is he overpowered above average soldiers by a wide margin. Though it occurred to Rachel such a task would be simple…

For a man capable of fighting on par with Hakumen anyway.

"You say these soldiers were all skilled?" Rachel questioned.

"It's not like they were all Praetorian Guards or anything, but they were all perfectly capable of handling themselves. I mean, Mai was there and even she was out cold when back up made it to the scene."

"Oh, even Mai, you say?" Rachel blinked. "You say that as if it would carry any weight with myself. I don't know who that is."

"Huh? What do you mean? You know, Mai! She was friends with Noel and all them? She—"

"Kagura, if I may be frank, her identity does not sound in the least bit relevant."

"Oh…okay then, just take my word that she is better than most when it comes to fighting. The point I'm trying to make is whoever has that sword of yours is no push over." Kagura pushed himself to his feet and stepped closer to Rachel. "And it's because of that I need to ask if there is anything else I should know about this guy. If he is this tough, I can't just go sending my men after haphazardly, you know?"

"If I actually knew the identity of the man who robbed me, do you really think I would be going to such lengths to track him down?" Rachel scoffed.

"Alright, fair enough." Kagura sighed. "Still, I will have to break out some bigger guns if we are gonna bring this guy in for you. You mind?"

"No, not at all. So long as the man is breathing, and the sword is returned to me I will have nothing to complain about." Besides, if it truly was the owner himself and not a thief, a higher caliber of soldier was clearly going to be required.

"Nice, and I think I know just who to call on this one." Kagura grinned.

"Excellent." So long as Kagura wasn't simply trying to brag, having competent soldiers on the hunt would certainly help. So called senior officers or not, these posted guards clearly were not up to the task. Though it occurred to Rachel that they did at least see the perpetrator. "Kagura, there is something else that I must know."

"Sure, what is—"

"Lord Kagura," Hibiki said, announcing his presence as he entered the office. "I noticed you 'forgot' some of your paperwork in the kitchen again so I thought I would return it to your office my…self…?"

Hibiki's usual quick pace was ground to an immediate halt upon noticing the surprise guest. Hibiki wasn't the only one caught off guard either, for in that moment Kagura remembered that Rachel made it clear she wanted to keep things discreet. As soon as this realization sank it, he dashed forward to hide Rachel behind himself despite how needless an action it was at that point.

"H-Hey, Hibiki! Got, uh, paperwork, do you?"

"Miss Rachel? Is that really you?" Hibiki questioned as he peered around his boss.

"This isn't what it looks like, I swear! I can actually mean it this time too! I wasn't doing anything!"

The surprise was quick to wear off for Hibiki, and he crossed the room with a sigh. "I believe you, Lord Kagura. Honestly, I couldn't imagine Miss Rachel sinking so low."

Rachel's sentiments exactly. That Kagura would ever dare to so much as imply such a thing even in jest nearly made her strike him down on the spot. Lucky for the Black Knight that his assistant could act as a voice of reason.

"Well said, Hibiki." Rachel complimented.

"Think nothing of it, Miss Rachel." Hibiki said as he set the documents down on Kagura's desk. "I know a woman of class when I see one. Believe me, I have seen enough to the contrary."

"My, you certainly are a sharp one. Your talents are truly wasted on this buffoon here."

"Alright guys, give it a rest, now you're just being mean. Not to mention getting along too well…" Kagura chimed in to put an end to his roast.

"Save your whining, Kagura, the adults are speaking." Rachel waved Kagura off before returning her attention to Hibiki. "Though the conversation has been the most pleasant one I've had since returning to this questionable office, I'll have you know that I was never here. Do you understand?"

"Of course, but may I ask if the figment of my imagination would like some tea?" Hibiki now made a point to avoid eye contact with Rachel as he crossed the room.

"No, thank you." Rachel replied.

"Then I'll be making my leave, Lord Kagura. I hope when I return I see you've made progress." Hibiki said nothing more as the door clicked shut behind him.

"He is too good for you, you know." Rachel told Kagura once they were alone. The boy really was astounding at his job. Rachel would even dare say in time he would be on Valkenhayn's level.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear that enough as it is…" Kagura muttered. "Oh, before Hibiki showed up you said you had a question for me?"

"Yes, that's right. Before we were interrupted I was going to ask if you managed to gain any information on the one carrying the sword. Your men saw him, after all." She wasn't going to say it, but she was also curious if Kagura learned anything that could confirm the information she gleaned from her dream more than anything.

"Yeah, about that…" Kagura scratched the back of his head. "No one had much to say. Any that were able to stay conscious long enough to talk were too shaken up to give us a description. This guy was seriously something else, apparently."

"I see…" Rachel muttered. It would seem the brave men and women of the NOL were just as useless as they had ever been. "Was there at least any footage captured on surveillance?"

"Uh, sorry, but no. I told you that building is new. If I'm being honest, it was thrown together kinda quick to get things going on Ibukido as soon as possible, so we didn't get cameras or anything like that set up yet. That's why we had so many high-ranking officers on site too."

"If that is the case then we are done for now." Rachel took a few steps away from Kagura and glanced out the window and observed the cityscape before her. The odds that the sword was still in Yabiko were rather high, Rachel thought, and that meant if she acted quick she just might be able to find it herself. "Keep in mind that you will inform me if you make any progress, but for nothing else."

"I hear you loud and clear. I'll call you as soon as I hear anything. When those soldiers are cleared by the medic I plan to go question them myself too."

"Be sure to get any information you can out of them. I will deem whether it is of importance or not." Rachel placed her palm on the window. "I am going to search the city myself, but before I depart there is one last thing I can tell you. In regards to your question earlier…I cannot say anything for certain, but there is a chance the man with the sword has white hair."

"White hair…?" Kagura echoed curiously. "This an older guy?"

"That is all I have for now. Good day, Kagura." With nothing more to say, Rachel disappeared from Kagura's office and threw herself into the heart of Yabiko. The city was massive and the owner of the sword could be anywhere. The thought alone made the ache in her head return with such strength she would almost consider returning to the castle. She would, if her health was even a remote concern at this point.

Her rest would come, but only when she had her answers.

* * *

"Goddamn it!"

Ragna's foot collided with a trashcan near him and sent it ricocheting down the alleyway he was currently loitering in. The sun was beginning to set in Yabiko and he was becoming more than a little fed up with how the day had gone. No matter how many streets he ran up and down, no matter how many people he asked, he just couldn't find so much as a trace of the damn Red Devil. Who would have ever thought it would be so hard to find a giant, metal man? Ragna couldn't help but notice how the tables had turned when he compared things to the old days. Seemed like back then he couldn't walk five feet without Tager's big, red ass crashing down from the sky.

It would be funny if it weren't so annoying.

Slumping against the wall of the alley, Ragna had to consider his options. With the sun going down, there was no telling if Tager and Bullet were going to be on the move. There was a chance they wrapped up whatever business they had and were already on their way out of town, and if that really were the case…well, the only thing Ragna could really do is double back toward Bang and try again. The thought of backing down in any regard made him itch.

"What the hell are you even doing, rabbit?" Ragna asked the sky. "I swear to god, if I find out you've been keeping yourself busy with…stamp collecting or some dumb shit I'm gonna smash all your teacups."

Now that was a question that had crossed his mind more than once.

What the hell was keeping Rachel?

It's not like he could pretend he knew her backward and forward like she did him, but he knew her well enough to know she didn't care for much. As long as she wasn't planning or fighting, she was all about tea time. She never even paled around with anyone outside of him. The thought of Rachel being all buddy-buddy with anyone seemed far-fetched to say the least. Still, it would be nice if she found someone to connect to—he would hate for her to have end up totally alone without him, save Valkenhayn. He was pretty curious what that person would be like too. Ragna had no idea what she would look for if she ever wanted to make some girlfriends or maybe a…guy friend.

Either way was fine, of course. He was totally cool with anyone Rachel wanted to associate with. He didn't mind either way. Nope, not one bit. He was just curious and nothing else.

Not like he would go and threaten someone's life or anything. Certainly wouldn't punch any throats, that's for sure.

"Aw hell... If I don't find a way to get to her soon I might blow a freakin' gasket." Ragna groaned, roughly palming his tired eyes with his right hand. Feeling something lightly brush his cheek, Ragna pulled his hand away and looked at Rachel's ribbon still tied to his wrist. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against his closed fists. He had to be better than this—Rachel made him better than this. It wasn't much, but the ribbon was enough to remind him of that. Unfortunately, it reminded him of more than just that. Looking at it couldn't help but remind him of where he found it.

On a hill, tied to his sword, next to a grave.

It was probably just meant for him—a little memento, and nothing else. Still, something about the image was eerie to him. The possibility of what else it could've meant was something he couldn't quite shake. He would have to put it out of his mind for now, he told himself. He needed to focus at the task at hand and time was running out.

Suddenly, a reaction.

Ragna's eyes shot open as he jumped back to his feet. His heightened senses caught on to something familiar—faint, but definitely familiar. It was an Idea Engine, and seeing that only he and one other person currently had one…

The retired Grim Reaper was off and running in the blink of an eye.

Tearing a path through the cityscape, Ragna charged forward blindly letting only the pull of the Idea Engine guide him. The winding downtown district of Yabiko was normally a challenge to navigate, but given how close he was to the thing he wanted more than anything else, Ragna was prepared to bulldoze the entire damn city to the ground with his bare hands. So lost in his trance, Ragna nearly charged right through a safety railing overlooking some lower levels. Screeching to a halt, he managed to slow himself just enough to crash into the metal rail without destroying it. He could feel how close he was, but he couldn't see a trance of Tager anywhere around him. It was like he was right on top of them!

A thought occurred to Ragna, and he took a look down.

A few stories below his level, there he was lumbering along with Bullet at his side. Ragna found the Red Devil of Sector Seven.

"Hey, Tager! Heads up!" Without thinking twice, Ragna dove over the railing.

"Captain, did you hear that?" Bullet asked looking every which way, but up.

"I did. It sounded like someone calling my na—MY GOD!"

"Look out below!"

Kicking up a huge cloud of dust and debris, Ragna slammed into the ground with enough force to kill anyone else, but luckily for him he was made out of sturdier stuff.

"What the hell was that, some crazy suicide jumper?!" Bullet yelled, shielding her eyes from the smoke. "No way anyone is surviving that!"

Yet as the smoke cleared, there Ragna stood defying all logic, dusting himself off as if he took some meager tumble.

"Man, you guys have no idea how long I've been looking for you." Ragna began, nonchalantly as he stepped out of the dent he made in the ground.

"Hold it right there." Tager commanded.

"Why? Something wrong?" Ragna asked, but did not slow down.

"You heard the man!" Bullet hopped up, brandishing her Armagus. "Stop right there, or I shoot! And get those hands in the air!"

"Jeez, alright already! Take it easy will ya?" Ragna muttered but did as he was told, steadily raising his hands. He had to remind himself he did need their help after all. Probably in his best interest not to freak them out more then he apparently had.

"Let's go pal: name, rank and serial number!"

"…What!?"

Though it might have already been too late in Bullet's case.

"Relax, soldier." Tager instructed as he stepped ahead of Bullet to face Ragna directly. "You'll have to forgive her, after all, it isn't like someone so easily drops down from the sky on us like you just did. What she means is state your name and purpose."

"Right… So, to make it easy on you guys, my name is Ragna and I just wanna talk to Kokonoe." Ragna replied evenly, but the two were visibly taken aback when they spoke the name of their superior officer so casually.

"You want to speak with… You know Kokonoe?" Tager questioned.

"You bet! Well, uh, sort of anyway. Look, it's kinda complicated so I'm just gonna need you to take my word on it, okay?"

"Captain..." Bullet spoke up, stepping around Tager to size up Ragna. "Does the Professor really know this guy? I'm still kinda new, so I'm not up to speed on her contacts."

"No. In all my time working under Kokonoe, I've never seen this man. She has never mentioned the name 'Ragna' to me either." Tager said.

Bullet whipped around on Ragna, eyes sharper than ever. "Your story is falling apart awfully fast."

Shit, Ragna cursed to himself. In retrospect, he really should've put more thought into what he was going to say when he got to this point. The Red Devil was always a stickler, especially when his boss was involved. He was finding himself quickly backed into a corner and he wasn't the best at thinking on his feet when it didn't involve a swift sucker punch. He had to keep himself from acting on that instinct as well considering her already had his arms in the air ready to go.

"Aw, come on! I just need to talk to her for a second! Uh, please?" Ragna practically begged, going as far as to use the magic word.

"Give it up—you're suspicious, you know that? In fact, I have a question of my own…" Bullet abruptly took her stance and raised her Armagus once more. "Why don't you tell us exactly how you even found us in the first place!?"

"Oh, that? Easy—your boyfriend told me." Ragna shrugged.

It became so quiet on that solitary road that one could hear a pin drop—Bullet suddenly bared a striking resemblance to a statue, completely unmoving. The bizarre turn of events left Ragna shifting his gaze between Bullet and Tager, waiting for some kind of cue to speak again. He only ever met Bullet a couple of times, but even he could tell her demeanor was off.

"Huh…?" Ragna hummed aloud. A split second ago, Bullet was the picture of pure focus, but now she couldn't be further from it. The former mercenary stood there shaking in her boots, and the shock in her eyes made it look like she had just seen a ghost. "Hey, um, are you—"

"B-B-B-Boyfriend?!" Bullet stuttered out of the blue. "What makes you think I have a boyfriend!? I don't have a boyfriend! Who told you I have a boyfriend?! Because I don't! They were lying! Lying! I-I mean, what even is a boyfriend?!"

"What do you mean who? Bang told me himself. He wouldn't stop bragging about you, actually."

"He…what…?" Bullet spoke so quietly she could barely be heard.

"Uh, bragged about you? Kept saying junk about how determined and beautiful he thinks you are or whatever. Why? What difference does it make?"

Bullet didn't reply with words, to be exact. Her reply was when her scarred face plus ears turned a deep shade of red and her arms dropped like wet noodles before what could only be described as an "eep" passed her lips and she bolted back behind Tager. Ragna and Tager stood there awkwardly starring at each other while Bullet repeatedly cursed Bang under her breath.

"So…you spoke with Bang, then?" Tager questioned, pushing his glasses into place.

"Y-Yeah… He told me you both were on assignment here." Ragna was almost impressed how easily Tager was able to get over Bullet's weirdness. Though, all things considered, he was probably used to it at this point.

"And I take it you want me to believe he just freely informed you of our location, I assume?"

"The hell are you getting at?" Ragna certainly didn't miss the accusing edge in Tager's voice.

"What!?" And neither did Bullet, as was evident by her dashing out from behind Tager with the fire reignited in her eyes. "Did you do something to Bang!? I swear, if there is a single hair on his head out of place the next time I see him, I will track you down and snap you in half you son of a—"

"Soldier, stand down! Get back and cool off, and that's an order!" Tager barked out.

"Ah! Yes, sir! Sorry, sir!" Hearing it as an official command seemed to be enough to snap Bullet out of her love induced rage and shift her back to her usual self. She was quick to step to the side and let her Captain handle things.

"Anyway…" Tager cleared his throat. "Look at things from my point of view, will you? You literally drop down from the sky on us, claim to know my reclusive employer, and that tracking us down was all thanks to the…associate of my subordinate here. You can understand my skepticism."

Ragna grit his teeth, his already typically low patience dwindling down to virtually nothing. He did understand Tager's side of things, he really did, but he also just so happened to be getting to a point where he didn't exactly care. Plus, his arms were really getting tired.

"Look, I get that you think I'm suspicious, fine, but you at least need to believe me when I tell you I didn't do anything to Bang. The guy just offered to help after I explained my situation, that's all."

"And what exactly is your situation?" Bullet questioned while making herself known again.

"Feel better, soldier?" Tager asked.

"Sir, yes, sir! I apologize for my outburst, sir."

"You sure you're okay? Bang would be super worried if he heard something was wrong." Ragna grinned, unable to help himself from getting at least one shot in. He had to get some kind of payback for the run around they were putting him through.

"S-Shut up!" Bullet stuttered, the comment immediately making her turn red again.

"Enough!" Tager interrupted. "Out with your situation already before I forget even considering helping you."

"Yeah, yeah… So, I won't bore you with the details, but basically there is this friend of mine that I got separated from and I need help getting back to her. My friend is an, um, acquaintance of Kokonoe's, which means your boss is my best chance of reaching my friend. Understand? The only thing I need from Kokonoe is for her to patch me through to someone else."

"You're looking for your friend? Well, that would explain how you got Bang on your side…" Bullet muttered to herself before turning to Tager. "What do you think, Captain?"

"Hmm…"

Ragna could never claim that he was able to read Tager all that well, but the Red Devil's poker face seemed to be in rare form today. Ragna honestly couldn't tell if the cyborg was considering helping, or was thinking it would be best to throw a punch. He could easily deal with a fight, that much he knew for sure, but if had to beat the two down then he could consider this route to Rachel closed for good.

Ragna held his breath—he could be moments away from being reunited with Rachel.

"Sorry," Tager shook his head. "I still can't determine for sure whether you can be trusted or not, but that aside, we are currently on assignment. At most, I can offer to look into the matter after our mission is complete, but nothing more."

Not good enough…

Not good enough!

The phrase rang through Ragna's mind again and again, increasing in intensity each time. He couldn't help himself—patience had never been his strong suit. He just didn't understand what was so hard about picking up a damn phone and telling that pain in the ass cat to call Rachel. Tager and Bullet should both thank their lucky stars that Ragna at least kept enough self-control to not make them help him. Were it the old days, Ragna might've just picked up Bullet and used her to beat Tager into submission.

Ragna lowered his arms and slowly clenched his fits.

"Screw this…" Ragna spoke in a low tone. The shift in tone was all the tip off Tager and Bullet needed to brace themselves. They both shifted their feet and assumed fighting stances as Ragna raised his hands…and cupped his hands around his mouth. "KOKONOE!"

"Huh?!" Tager flinched back along with Bullet at Ragna's sudden outburst.

"Hey, Kokonoe! You bitch, I know you were listening in this whole time so stop ignoring me and get on the damn phone!" Ragna figured if Tager wasn't going to help him, fine, he could just go over the cyborg's head.

"H-Hey, knock that off! I told you we can't help you!" Tager attempted to calm Ragna down. The last thing he needed was Kokonoe chewing him out over some stranger yelling insults at her.

"Kokonoe, c'mon! It's about Rachel! Rachel Alucard! I need to talk to her!"

"That does it!" Bullet stepped up once more, aiming her Armagus directly at Ragna's head. "You got your warning, and you won't be getting another one! I'm gonna take you down my—"

Bullet's threat was cut short by the beeping of Tager's phone. Practically music to Ragna's ears.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me…" Tager groaned.

"Well?" Ragna grinned. "You gonna answer that or what?"

Tager mumbled to himself but picked up his phone all the same.

"Tager here… Yes, that's right. Yes, but are you—but Kokonoe I was just… Yes. Yes, I understand." After apparently completing his conversation, Tager held his phone out to Ragna. "She will speak with you."

Ragna was more than a bit smug when he sauntered forward and swiped the device from Tager's metal hand. If nothing else, he could be glad the giant still knew how to fall in line when told.

"Hey, Koko—"

"Alright, first thing you are going to do is shut up." Yup, there was no mistaking Kokonoe's usual charm. "Now, I have no idea who the hell you are or how you even know about me, but I'll set that aside for the moment. You're lucky I'm curious about just who you exactly are. I'll be honest, I didn't think that snob had any friends."

"Yeah, I'm sure you know the feeling." Ragna grumbled.

"Still, I'm busy, so tell me what your deal is but make it quick." Kokonoe said, completely ignoring Ragna's comment.

"You're a joy as always…" Ragna sighed to himself. "Like I told your wind-up toy here, I'm looking for Rachel. I'm a friend of hers and we got separated a while ago. I can't get ahold of her the way I usually do and the only other person I know who can reach someone like her is you."

"And you think I can because…?"

"Rachel, uh, told me a little about you. Look, I'm not trying to waste your time, and I know what you can do so why are you dragging this out? Could you just call Rachel for me? I'm not asking you to do it for free, either. You don't know me, but I'm strong and I can pay you back one way or another. I have to—I need to see Rachel again, so… Please?"

Once Kokonoe got Rachel on the phone, it wouldn't matter if they believed him or not, Ragna told himself. As soon as she knew he was back, Rachel would come get him herself. He would finally be able to see her again and that scene of her ribbon tied to his sword on the hill would stop nagging at the back of his mind. All Kokonoe had to do was make the damn call.

The tension Ragna was feeling over Kokonoe's silence was beginning to make him squeeze the phone a bit harder than he should have. This went on much longer and he would smash the thing to pieces.

"No. I can't help you."

"…What?" Ragna had misheard her. He was sure of it.

"I said I can't help—"

"Why?!" Ragna barked, cutting her off. Kokonoe had always been a bitch, but even she could not be this cold for absolutely no reason. "I told you I could pay you back! I don't care what stupid, bullshit experiment it is, I'll do it! If that isn't good enough I can do missions! I can do ten times what these two flunkies you have can manage and then some! Just name it and I'll do it!"

"It's not about that, you lunatic." Kokonoe spoke evenly, unshaken by Ragna's rage. "I'm saying I can't help you because—"

"I don't need your excuses, you hag! I can't even begin to guess a single reason you won't call Rachel for me other than you like to be a pain in the ass! Just do me this one favor, this one tiny favor, or I swear to god I will find you and smash every last piece of junk in your goddamn lab and MAKE you call—"

"Will you shut up and let me talk?!" Kokonoe's yell coupled with the screeching static of the phone forced Ragna to flinch away from the phone for a second. "Lord, where the hell does Rachel find these people… Look, pay attention when people talk. I'm not saying I won't call Rachel for you, I'm saying I can't."

"Wha…What's that supposed to mean?" Ragna managed to reign in his temper enough to keep his voice down, but it wouldn't stay down for long if Kokonoe kept jerking him around like this. He knew damn well what she was capable of.

"Are you slow? I literally haven't been able to contact her. What don't you understand about that?"

"Wait, back up a second here. Why can't you contact her? Just use a Phenomenon Intervention!"

"Hm, so you know that much, huh? Guess you really did know her…"

"Explain…. Now!" Ragna caught that last part loud and clear—past tense. Something happened.

"Ugh, fine, but if you start screaming again I'm hanging up." Kokonoe offhandedly threatened. "If you really did know her, you should've known that she wasn't holding up great a while ago, right?"

"I…yeah." He knew alright. Rachel was running herself ragged during the final days in the war against Terumi—almost entirely for his sake too. It was at the top of the list of all the things he wanted to pay her back for.

"Well, towards the end of our…let's say business, she just up and disappeared. There wasn't a trace of her, her butler, or any of that. I know this because I checked myself. Some of the others wanted to check on her and I tried reaching her just like you are asking me now. You can figure out how well that went for yourself."

She disappeared? No, that was wrong. It had to be wrong. Rachel wasn't in the best of shape when he left her, sure, but there was nothing left to threaten her life. Terumi was gone, she didn't have to Observe Hakumen or himself anymore—it might have taken some time but she should've recovered just fine!

"How long… How long ago was this?!"

"Let's see, I want to say the last time someone had me check was about…eight months ago?"

Ragna felt his body lurch forward. He was gone for eight months? And in those eight months no one had been able to contact Rachel at all?

"You're lying…" Ragna hissed.

"Believe what you want, but it's the truth."

"Shut the fuck up!" Ragna roared with such force that Tager and Bullet shrank back. Ragna officially had enough of this. He didn't know what sick game Kokonoe was playing at, but he was done. She was wrong. She was lying. Rachel was fine. "You don't know what you're talking about! She's fine… Rachel is just fine! She's sipping her tea in her castle like always! Don't give me this bullshit when I know that there was nothing left that could possibly hurt her! I don't care if you tried before, you're gonna call her right now or else I'll—"

"You'll what?!" Kokonoe screamed back, finally losing patience herself. "You asked a question and I gave you the answer! It doesn't matter if you like it or not! The fact of the matter is no one has seen her for nearly a year! As far as we know she's de—"

Ragna smashed the phone in his grip before Kokonoe could finish that sentence. He couldn't hear it. He didn't want to hear it. It was wrong.

"What do you think you're doing, punk!?" Bullet yelled, taking a step forward.

"Bullet, stop!" Tager ordered. Bullet stopped dead in her tracks at the urgency in her captain's voice. "There is something off about this man. Get behind me. Now."

"Captain?"

"Shut up…" Both Tager and Bullet's attention was pulled when they heard Ragna speak up again, though it was not to them. Ragna kept his intense gaze on the ground, exactly where it had been for nearly the entire conversation. He stood there, shaking, as pieces of the phone crumbled out of his clenched fist. "You don't know a thing. Rachel… She's not…she's not…"

With his mind completely empty, Ragna turned and began to walk. He didn't know where he was going or why, but he knew he had to move. It was coming back—he could feel it. He could feel it once again, gnawing at the back of his psyche. His fury was dragging back a darkness that had no business existing anymore.

And it's all too familiar whisper was once again tempting him to destroy everything he could get his hands on.

"H-Hey!" Bullet tried calling out once more.

"Stay back." Ragna warned. "Don't come near me."

If it wasn't the tone, or the warning itself, surely Bullet's own survival instincts kept her rooted in place. Even with her own fiery temper, she could tell plan as day when a real threat was standing before her, and this was it.

"You heard him, soldier. Stand down." Tager spoke calmly, but kept his voice low. He himself was also a seasoned warrior, and had faced down genuine monsters more times than he cared to. He couldn't shake the feeling that this time wasn't any different. If they wanted to make it out of the situation in one piece, they would do as they were told and keep their distance.

The two stayed where they were, letting Ragna go and finding the solitude he now desperately craved so he could bring himself under control.

The streets were now completely dark with the sun having gone down. Ragna's eyes had no trouble seeing in the dark, but he didn't pay any mind to where he was going anyway. This isn't what he wanted. This isn't what he fought for. This isn't what he sacrificed himself for. The world alone wasn't his concern. He wanted them to be happy—the small handful of people he cared for, and her most of all. After all the bullshit she put herself through for everyone's sake but her own, she more than anyone deserved her happiness. No one put in half the work Rachel did to save the world, and this is what she got for it? Why was this happening? Was someone responsible for it? Who was it!?

His right arm convulsed involuntarily. Ragna grabbed it by the wrist, and squeezed Rachel's ribbon with all his might. He couldn't let it back in. He had to calm down.

"I'm not angry."

He was furious.

"I'm not angry…"

He was livid.

"I'm…not…" Ragna sank to the ground and buried his face in his hands.

He was a mess.

* * *

 **Review if you like.**


	7. Falling Apart

**First of all, to my guest reviewer from the last chapter, thank you for suggestions but I will not be needing them. I actually had the whole thing planned out before I began writing so it was more or less already set in stone. Though if you are reading this, you may notice I will be touching on a couple of the topics anyway.**

 **As for everyone else, I hope you enjoy.**

 **I do not own BlazBlue.**

* * *

It was as though he was back in front of that damn Cauldron. That worthless, pathetic shadow of Terumi's just stood there with a smile on his face as Rachel lay on the ground in pain. It was in that one moment that all the work he put in to save the world became the furthest thing from his mind, and his drive to destroy every last trace of that disgusting imitation consumed him. Ragna's rage completely overtook him, and he didn't think twice about throwing away absolutely everything if it meant erasing the one who dared harm Rachel. He had luckily managed to retain his humanity and reach his goal in the end, but that moment was forever ingrained in his memory. It was probably the angriest he had ever been in his entire life…

And considering his track record that was saying quite a lot.

Now history was repeating itself, and Ragna was once again on the verge of letting it all go once more.

It was there again. He could feel the beast stirring at the edges of his mind. Exerting some force of will was enough to push it away, but in his current enraged state as soon as he considered what might have happened to Rachel it was there barring its fangs again.

And encouraging him to do the same.

Gritting his teeth, Ragna gripped his right wrist with as much strength as he could muster and dug his knuckles into the ground. His eyes stayed locked on Rachel's ribbon peeking out between his fingers. Reflecting on her guidance from all the years they were together was the only thing keeping him in one piece. He knew he had to get ahold of himself, that throwing a fit would do him no good, but every time he tried to focus on anything all he could manage was, "who?"

Could it be Azrael? With so few truly powerful warriors left in the world, Azrael would surely see Rachel as the only opponent left worthy of him… No, that wouldn't make sense, Ragna reminded himself. If the Mad Dog was the one responsible then Kokonoe would've said so. Besides, that mutt didn't have the brains to take out Rachel. With her power intact she could probably throw him back into the damn freezer as many times as need be too. Still, there was no one left in the world who would want to pick a fight with Rachel—much less even know who she is. The only other possibility that came to mind was Relius or Hazama if they somehow found their way back out of the Boundary, but that was a long shot at best. If they managed to survive and escape that endless void, neither of them could hold a candle to Rachel either. They only got so far in life due to the fact Terumi was pulling their strings. On their own they wouldn't stand a chance.

So here Ragna was, still left unable to do anything but ask questions.

Who was it that took her away? Where were they hiding?

How far would he let himself go to make them pay?

"Hey, you! The funny looking guy in red!"

A voice calling out to him broke Ragna from his trance just enough to make him glance up from the ribbon tied to his hand. Even in his unstable state, Ragna still instantly recognized the squirrel beastkin and her red-haired friend walking down the road in his direction.

"Hey, pal, we're gonna need you to come with us." Makoto ordered, looking none too pleased as she strolled forward.

"…What?" Ragna muttered in response, even though he wasn't actually listening. His eyes were locked on Tsubaki. Seeing her made him feel as though he was forgetting something—something important.

"As my comrade said, sir, we are going to need you to come with us." Tsubaki repeated as she approached Ragna alongside Makoto. Although her manner of speech was far more professional than Makoto's, there was still no hiding the disdain clear on her face. She was clearly just as agitated as her friend. "You are carrying a suspicious weapon on your person, and you are also currently wanted for questioning in regards to an incident that occurred early this morning."

"Yeah, our men got attacked by a guy carrying that sword you have attached to your hip. Wouldn't happen to know anything that would ya?" Makoto asked.

Ragna didn't respond, but the pair did manage to get his attention. He sat upright on his knees and turned to face them directly as his mind put the pieces together. He could care less about whatever Library business they had with him, but seeing their faces was beginning to jog his memory. The details were difficult to grasp at considering he had to witness so many different thoughts during the end of his journey, but he felt as though there was something in particular that gave him pause.

"Sir? Sir!" Tsubaki barked. Apparently they were trying to tell Ragna something while he was lost in thought.

"Something is off about this guy, Tsubaki. Let's stay on guard." Makoto advised as she stopped her advance roughly a block away from Ragna—prompting Tsubaki following suit.

"Right… Sir, this is going to be your final warning. Remove your weapon and put your hands on your head. If you do not comply we have been authorized to use force." Tsubaki warned.

"Go ahead and push us if you want. Believe it or not, I really wouldn't mind." Makoto spoke casually as she brandished a fist. "One of those soldiers you busted up happened to be a good friend of ours. I would be pretty pleased if I could return the favor, but we are only allowed to if you throw the first punch. Rules are rules, and all that."

Makoto's threat fell on deaf ears as Ragna finally put the pieces together. There was something he saw when he was observing Tsubaki's dream. There was this memory of hers that took place not too long after his fight with Take-Mikazuchi. He shrugged it off at the time what with all that was going on, but now it was a different story. She had talked with Rachel about something. The memory was fuzzy for him, but there was one detail that came through loud and clear.

They had made a promise.

"Was it you…?" Ragna voice was raspy and barely above a whisper.

The promise hinged on something only the Izayoi's Immortal Breaker could do.

"What was that?" Makoto questioned, completely unaware how the fingers of Ragna's right hand were digging into the pavement—splintering it with ease.

Ragna's eyes locked on Tsubaki.

His vision turned red.

"WAS IT YOU!?" Ragna's roar was accompanied by a wave of darkness exploding from the back of his right hand that made the wind howl all around him. The daunting display of power left the NOL pair utterly shocked and unable to move. Makoto was the first to snap out of her trance just as Ragna launched himself forward from his spot on the ground.

"Tsubaki, get back!" Makoto ordered as she ran forward to meet Ragna. She threw her cloak to the side and drew her fist back to build as much strength as she could muster. Whether it was animal instinct or common sense, something was screaming at Makoto to end this fight immediately or she wouldn't be getting any more chances. Holding absolutely nothing back, Makoto threw the full force of her punch aimed directly at Ragna's face. She was used to having her opponents at the very least staggering, especially with this amount of force, so she was stunned when her punch not only failed to even slow Ragna but he didn't so much as blink.

"W-What!?" Makoto shrieked.

"YOU'RE IN MY WAY!" His rage too great for him to acknowledge such a weak attack, Ragna retaliated by slamming the back of his right hand into Makoto's side and sent her flying without breaking his stride. Makoto collided with a nearby wall and hit the ground limp.

"Makoto!" Tsubaki called out before glaring at Ragna. "You'll pay for this!"

Tsubaki went to draw her weapon, but the only thing that showing the Izayoi managed to accomplish was enrage Ragna even further. With a roar, Ragna grabbed the Blood-Scythe with his left hand and swung it with an upward arch—sparks erupting from the blade as he dragged it across the ground. Not expecting such a large weapon to be wielded so easily, Tsubaki was left totally defenseless as the Blood-Scythe collided with her arm. Luckily for her the blade had grown far too dull to cut properly, but the sheer force of Ragna's attack broke the bone in Tsubaki's arm and sent the Izayoi flying as a result. Tsubaki stumbled back, clutching her broken arm in pain, as Ragna reversed his grip on the Blood-Scythe and brought it back down with both hands. Her body coursing with adrenaline, Tsubaki was able to dive to the side and away from Ragna's swing just as it struck the ground—shattering the pavement to pieces and kicking up a massive cloud of debris.

"T-This isn't right!" Tsubaki panted while stumbling back toward a building opposite from where Makoto landed. "What are you!?"

The only response she received was when Ragna came barreling through the smoke. Tsubaki could do little beyond scream as Ragna closed in on her in an instant and slammed her against the building. With the wind knocked out of her, Tsubaki was unable to escape from Ragna, who took the opportunity to wrap his fingers around her throat and pin her to the now damaged wall. She uselessly latched on to Ragna's arm and flailed her legs in an attempt to escape his grasp but he was far too enraged to be moved.

"Tsubaki!" Makoto yelled when she was finally able to climb back to her feet and stumble forward. "Let her go now or I—"

"Not another step!" Ragna growled without taking his eyes off Tsubaki. "Stay out of this or I start breaking bones!" And he drove his point home by increasing the pressure on Tsubaki's throat.

"O-Okay, I understand! Just… Just tell us what you want!" Makoto pleaded.

Ragna grit his teeth and seethed as he glared at Tsubaki. Part of him said he should just close his hand and crush her throat now, but he would have his answers. He loosened his grip just enough so that Tsubaki would be able to speak.

"Tell me… Was it you? Did you kill Rachel!?" Ragna's bellow made the young woman flinch.

"W-W-What?" Tsubaki stammered out in response. It was plain to see she was too scared to respond with anything more. This was a Tsubaki who never knew Ragna, which meant this was a Tsubaki who was conscious enough to fear Ragna instead of blindly hate him.

"You heard me!" Ragna yelled, brandishing his free hand as a threat. "Rachel Alucard! You promised to kill her didn't you!? Well? Did you do it!? ANSWER ME!"

"N-No, I didn't! I swear! I…I did make that promise with her, but I swear I didn't do it!" Tsubaki cried.

"You…!" Ragna's voice caught in his throat for a moment. He didn't know if he wanted to believe her or not. If Tsubaki didn't do anything to Rachel, that would leave him right back where he was a moment ago—tortured by the possibilities. The thought made his blood boil. "Where is she then!?"

"I don't know!" Tsubaki frantically shook her head in reply.

"I-It's true!" Makoto chimed in. "The last time any of us saw her was months ago! We tried everything we could think of to contact her but—"

"ENOUGH!" Ragna bellowed, cutting Makoto off. He didn't want to hear it again.

He couldn't stand to hear it again.

It was clear that the things Kokonoe told him were true, which meant that he was done with the two NOL officers. Ragna released his vice like grip and Tsubaki dropped to the ground, who was quick to scurry away and catch her breath. Makoto hurried to Tsubaki's side, but made a point to keep her eyes on Ragna as he stepped back. He didn't spare them so much as another glance before making his way down the street. If Tsubaki or Makoto had any fight left in them, they certainly didn't let it show. They let Ragna leave without a word, content to still be alive.

Ragna, on the other hand, was not fairing so well.

Once again, he found himself aimlessly wandering streets with no real destination or goal in mind anymore as his legs carried him almost automatically. He kept moving forward because he knew if he were to stop, he wasn't sure he could work up the nerve to keep moving. Having heard it more than once now, Ragna really did have to consider the possibility that Rachel might really be…gone.

The thought hit Ragna hard.

A chill passed through his body, followed by a sensation of nausea—prompting him to lurch to one side before barely catching himself. He tried to breathe to calm himself down, but all that passed his lips were ragged gasps. Ragna clutched at his chest as his growing anxiety got his heart hammering away a mile a minute. He felt as though he had no control over his body. He couldn't even stop the tears from welling up in his eyes. Ragna weakly raised his hand to wipe the tears away, but as soon as his vision was blocked, he tripped over his own feet and took a spill onto the curb.

The infamous Grim Reaper, the host of the Black Beast, the savior of all existence… Sprawled out in a gutter.

He must've looked as pathetic as he felt.

Ragna pulled himself up to a sitting position, but simply stayed in the spot he fell. He didn't see the point in standing back up. He didn't see the point in staying in the world anymore. He wanted to tell himself that everything was fine, that Rachel was fine and she would pop up any second to giggle at him for being so emotional. That is why he came back in the first place, after all. With all the bullshit they went through finally done and over with, Ragna decided all he wanted to do was spend time with her—nothing more was needed. And yet it should've been no surprise that life wanted to kick him one last time.

The former criminal tilted his head up and took in the city around him. In his daze, he made it to a much livelier area of the city. The streets were shining with all the various streetlights and neon signs, and people were hustling all about. If he cared to look around any further, Ragna would notice he was right by a train station.

Despite his active surroundings, Ragna had never felt so alone.

"Goddamn it…" Ragna's voice cracked as he buried his head in his hands. "I just wanted to see her again. Was that really too much to ask…?"

For once the universe decided to pity the poor man, because as soon as he asked his question, he felt pressure on his shoulder.

"Hey, you doin' alright there, kid?"

The familiar voice resonated with Ragna immediately, and he spun his head to set his eyes on his master, the man he would call a father…

Which is why Ragna didn't hesitate for a second to throw his arms around Jubei for a big hug.

"W-Whoa there, kid!" Jubei flinched, which caused him to drop his walking stick, but he still made no effort to push Ragna away. "I mean, I don't mind huggin' ya if that'll make ya feel better, but I typically like to get the names of people before I get all touchy-feely, ya know?"

Ragna froze after hearing his master's words, and a frown set back in once the realization followed. He probably shouldn't have been surprised, he reminded himself. If running into everyone else taught him anything, it was that 'Ragna the Bloodedge' did not exist to the people of this world. That fact made him sad—sadder than the others considering this was Jubei, but he would accept this silver lining for what it was. Seeing his old mentor was by far the best thing that happened to him since coming back to the world. Even so, this was awkward for Jubei, so Ragna let go and let the cat have his space.

"S-Sorry about that." Ragna began. "It's just…well, you look like someone I know. That's all."

"Oh yeah?" Jubei questioned as he collected his walking stick and took a seat next to Ragna.

"Yeah. I was, um, raised by a cat beastkin. I didn't get a good look at you and thought you were him for a second… Sorry." Ragna fumbled out his excuse.

"Ah, no harm done. I gotta say though, that is some strength ya got there, fella!" Jubei laughed. "Would ya look at me? Where are my manners? Names Jubei, kid. What's yers?"

"It's Ragna." There was no denying it still felt weird having to introduce himself to people he already knew.

"Ragna, good to meet ya. You…feelin' okay?" Jubei asked. It was just like his master to check on what he believed to be a total stranger just because he looked down, Ragna thought. Nice to see that hasn't changed.

"Don't worry about it. It's nothing you have to waste your time on." Ragna waved Jubei off seeing as he had no clue how to actually explain his situation. Best to let the old warrior go on his way no matter how badly he wanted to keep talking.

"Mm, don't know if I feel right about that." Jubei gave Ragna a nudge in the arm. "Stranger or not, it would just be wrong to look the other way when ya see someone suffering."

"It's… It's not that bad." Ragna lied.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's why I saw ya face plant in the street a minute ago. Don't try and give me some lame coverup like you're drunk or somethin' either—I'd smell it on ya." Jubei's stern tone really took Ragna back to his training days. At the start of it all he was always keeping Ragna from doing something stupid.

"Look, I appreciate it and all, but you really don't have to. I'm sure you have better things to do." Ragna said.

"Hm…I do gotta catch that train…" Jubei mumbled while looking up the street at the station.

"Go ahead, Jubei. I'll be fine, really. Believe it or not you've done plenty already." Not like he could say as much, but getting to see his master one last time was a godsend. He could at least cherish it as one final, pleasant memory of the world.

"…Tell ya what, kid." Jubei began as he rose to his feet. "Ya don't gotta do anything, but if you don't got more pressin' business elsewhere, yer welcome to come along with me."

"H-Huh?" Ragna knew his mentor was one of the friendliest guys you would ever meet, but that still seemed like quite the offer for a 'stranger' like him.

"Yeah, why not? I'll give ya a heads up though, where I'm headin' is off the beaten path and ain't the easiest to get to. Gonna be hoppin' off the train before it gets too far out. Still, in my experience, a nice walk and a little conversation does wonders to take yer mind off things."

"I can't really argue with that…" Ragna said especially after considering Jubei told him that same thing many years ago.

"Like I said, ya don't gotta do anything." Jubei gave Ragna a pat on the shoulder before strolling away. "Come meet me up at the train if ya like, but if not, I hope things start lookin' up for ya soon, Ragna."

Ragna stayed glued to his seat as he watched Jubei walk away. There really wasn't much point in going with his master if he was being completely honest with himself. More than anything, he really didn't want to hear yet again that Rachel hasn't been seen for almost a year. It would probably be better to accept that his little rebirth has come to an end before he caught wind of any worse news.

And yet…

"Hey, Jubei!" Ragna called out, jumping to his feet.

"Hm?" Jubei hummed as he looked back.

"Well… I think I would like to take that walk after all." Ragna said.

"Heh, well what ya waitin' for, kid? We got a train to catch!" Jubei grinned and motioned for Ragna to follow.

"Right behind ya!" Ragna smiled as he took off after Jubei.

There was no harm in finishing his last day in the world. This way he would get to spend some time with his father and let it end on a somewhat more positive note.

After that, he would return to his sleep once and for all.

* * *

With a cold cup of tea in hand, and an untouched piece of cake on her table, Rachel sat at her table doing nothing more than staring at the moon. Moments ago, her mind and body finally had enough and she had no choice but to return home for rest lest she pass out in the middle of some road. She not only spent hours scouring the streets of Yabiko for any sign of the sword, but also went as far as too check every man with white hair she could find. Yet of course she had no luck, just like with everything else. In her mind, she was no different than a lost infant stumbling through those streets. This just served as another shining example of how the once dignified head of the Alucard Clan had fallen. In the span of a few months her hopeful optimism regarding her memories had turned to skull splitting frustration, and now even her anger was ebbing off to become nothing more than pure depression. No matter how close she may have seemed, it would appear that the invisible hand of fate was intent on forcing her to face the reality that she may very well be chasing ghosts.

If all this time was truly wasted, if her memories were truly lies, she would be heartbroken.

She felt tears welling up in her eyes and the urge to scream rising when Valkenhayn approached her.

"Madame Rachel…?" The butler spoke softly.

"…Yes, what is it?" Rachel responded without turning—her voice quiet and empty.

"Milady, I have held my tongue all this time and trusted you as I always have, but now I feel compelled to speak my mind—if you so allow it, of course." Valkenhayn said calmly and carefully.

"You may say whatever you feel you must, Valkenhayn. There is no need to spare my feelings at this point."

"Then if I may, I regret to say as of late you are not the master I know and respect sitting before me." Valkenhayn began sadly, the words clearly hurting him to say as much as they shocked Rachel to hear. "These past few months you have been slowly spiraling out of control, and it is obvious how much pain you have been experiencing in silence… I would like nothing more than do whatever is needed of me to make you happy once more, but to do so I feel I need to understand the full story."

"Story? Whatever do you mean by that?" Rachel questioned as she set down her full cup of tea.

"At the beginning of all this, you told me only once in passing about the origins of that sword. You said it had belonged to a man you can no longer seem to remember and nothing else. I didn't believe it was necessary for me to have any information you had not volunteered yourself so I simply performed my duties as always. I haven't once questioned the reason behind your actions, but now I do believe I must know for your sake. Please, Madame, won't you confide in me?"

Rachel finally turned to face her butler and could see in his eyes the same sadness she heard in his voice. It was a rare sight indeed. Valkenhayn had always strived to be the picture of composure as to better serve the Alucard family. The fact that he was so openly displaying his emotions was very telling on how serious he was about this.

Rachel close her eyes, took a shuttering breath, and turned her gaze back to the moon.

"It has been this way ever since the defeat of that vile cur, Terumi. That should have been the most joyous occasion of my life, but I've only felt emptiness. It is as though something, or rather someone, has disappeared from my life. In my heart, I know beyond that shadow of a doubt that I have lost someone near and dear to me, Valkenhayn, and yet…" Rachel took another shaky breath as she tried to pull herself together. "And yet I haven't a single memory of the man beyond a meager handful of fragmented thoughts. I've tried everything imaginable to recover some semblance of who that man was, but I've only been met with failure at every turn. All this time, the only thing I had was that sword, Valkenhayn. That sword was my link to him—the only proof I had that I have not simply gone mad over these years. Gazing upon it was the only thing that brought me happiness all this time." Rachel laughed sadly. "With it gone I…I have begun to doubt myself. I do not know if I can trust my own mind anymore. If this has all been a figment of my imagination, if that man and my feelings for him are real or not, then I haven't a clue what I would do… I am scared, Valkenhayn. I am more scared than I have ever been in my entire life."

Valkenhayn remained silent as his mistress spoke. He stood by as Rachel spoke her mind for the first time in months, and it was clear to him how much she was shouldering. Gently, the butler knelt down by her side and close her hand between his own, which prompted Rachel to look at him.

"Madame Rachel… You are the one that Master Clavis had entrusted everything to. You are the one who led the battle against Terumi and ensured his defeat. You faced gods and won, Milady. No matter what the challenge, you have stood your ground and met it head on each and every time. I know your father could not possibly be any prouder and I assure you I could not be more honored to call you my master." Valkenhayn smiled softly. "You are extraordinary, and once you set your mind on something, I know you will succeed. I have nary a doubt that you will find the man you hold so dear, but to do so you must keep your wits about you. Take a moment to calm yourself and move forward one step at a time. Perhaps if you try to remember this man in smaller details, and not all at once, you will find your results."

Rachel thought over her loyal servant's words and couldn't help herself from smiling. She never once let herself forget how invaluable Valkenhayn was to her, but it was moments like these that reminded her just how precious he truly was.

Wiping away her tears, Rachel looked Valkenhayn in the eye and gave his hand a squeeze.

"You didn't have to butter me up like that, you know." She said, still smiling.

"My sincerest apologies, Madame." Valkenhayn said, though he was smiling too as he rose back to his feet. "If you so wished, I would fetch you a fresh pot of tea?"

"Yes, I think I would like that, Valkenhayn. Thank you." Rachel replied.

"Then it shall be done." Valkenhayn bowed before grabbing the tea set and returning to the castle.

Alone again, Rachel breathed deeply and relaxed into her chair.

Smaller details? She did manager to scrap together a very modest collection of information, so she could try mulling it over once more.

The man once wielded a massive sword—rather extensively if it's worn appearance was any sort of hint. If she could be so bold as to make an assumption, he had even recently used that sword to completely overpower a group of somewhat advanced NOL soldiers. What's more he had once fought at least on par with Hakumen, which even if the White Knight was weakened is no small feat. These facts without a doubt painted the picture of a mighty warrior. Yet even with such power at his disposal, he still seemingly had a kind heart as he was someone who would feed a stranger like Tao with no rhyme or reason. Though she supposed that the voice she heard in the forest supported the former fact more than the latter. It was rude and rough, but still not something she disliked. It might have been nothing more than imagination, but the voice sounded almost comfortable speaking to her. This supported the notion that she and the man were familiar with each other.

As far as a physical description went she had less she could be sure of. Based on her hazy dreams he had a large, imposing figure. He was probably rather muscular considering his strength as well. Finally, he had white hair and what she would apparently describe as a 'stupid face', however she had a feeling that was said in jest.

Rachel was starting to get an idea of the man's character, but much of it was unfortunately conjecture. If only she could get something more concrete, she thought to herself.

It then occurred to Rachel that she had not touched base with Kagura for some time. He did say he was going to check with the victims of the train station battle so maybe, just maybe, he had something worth reporting. It wasn't exactly following Valkenhayn's advice, but having a conversation in an office and trekking through streets all day were very different.

She would be back before long.

Without further ado, Rachel blinked and found herself in Kagura's office by the time her eyes opened.

"Kagura."

For the third time in a row, Kagura physically fumbled and dropped the phone in his hand.

"Look, Lady Rachel, I'm happy to see you again and everything, but you are really gonna have to stop doing that." Kagura groaned as he rose to his feet.

"One would think such a prestigious member of the NOL wouldn't be so easy to startle, but I digress. I would like to know if you were able to gather any more information on the man currently in possession of the sword." Rachel questioned.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do. Though I'm sorry to say I'm not all that happy about it." Kagura's voice had an edge to it that it did not before which made Rachel raise a brow. Kagura approached Rachel and crossed his arms. "That was Tsubaki I just got off the phone with. They had a little run in with your mystery man and it didn't go well. They tracked him down around the downtown district not far from a rail station. She said the guy went berserk and attacked them without provocation, Rachel."

The information didn't particularly surprise Rachel at this point. Whether or not it was the genuine owner of the sword, this was a man who didn't seem willing to cooperate with the authorities. And though she herself did not consider Tsubaki or Makoto to be especially strong, this did add support the profile of the man's strength. Though she knew it best to set aside her curiosity for the moment. If nothing else it would be rude to not affirm the two soldiers were alright.

"Oh dear, I am sorry to hear that. What are their respective conditions?"

"Nothing too serious, thankfully. Physically, Tsubaki got her arm banged up but it will heal. They both sounded pretty shaken up though." Kagura responded grimly.

"Well, they have both witnessed worse, so they will pull through. No harm done." It wasn't as though Rachel didn't care about their wellbeing, but one could only be so attached. They weren't her friends, or even acquaintances.

They've met each other, basically.

"That's not the point, Rachel. Look, this is as far as I can take things." Kagura sighed, evidently none too pleased with the situation nor Rachel's attitude toward it.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"This guy has attacked soldiers just doing their jobs twice now—not to mention the fact that Tsubaki and Makoto are close friends of mine and they were put in danger. I'm sorry, but as it stands I can't send anyone else after him. At most, I might be able to go on a search when and if I have the time, but I can't promise I will be so nice at this point." Kagura said with authority.

It was not news that she wanted to hear, but Rachel accepted it nonetheless. Kagura had gone out of his way to assist her, and did have legitimate reason to be upset, so she knew it was best to quit while she was relatively ahead.

"Very well, Kagura, I understand. You have my thanks for your help thus far and I shall ask no more of you. However, if you had already managed to gather new information I would hate for it to go to waste." Rachel hinted.

"Sorry, I wish I could end this on a positive note, but I still don't have anything new. There is no word from the squad that fought the guy at the station, and haven't had the chance to talk to them myself. I can hit you up if I hear anything new, but I don't expect much else from them at this point. Unless maybe Tsubaki…" Kagura's train of thought was suddenly cut off by a ping from his computer, prompting him to go check. "Huh, punctual as always. Looks like she sent in her report."

Rachel felt her heartbeat quicken at the thought of a new lead. One could say whatever they wanted to about the Yayoi girl, but if she was anything it was a stickler for detail. Rachel knew this might have been her best chance to get a full description of the man.

"Well? What does she have to say?" Rachel eagerly questioned.

"Hm, this first bit is about what happened. Hang on… Ah, here we go. Looks like she is estimating the guy to be about six feet tall with a muscular build… And he's got that white hair you mentioned."

"W-What else?" Rachel found herself becoming frantic again. Things that she feared were tricks of her memory were being validated at long last.

"Huh, she said the guy had two colored eyes…"

"The right was red and the left green?" For the second time, words passed Rachel's lips without her so much as thinking about it.

"Y-Yeah, that's exactly right." Kagura was surprised not only because Rachel was correct, but because he had never seen her in such a state. She was wide eyed and clutching her chest, but also had a small smile on her face. It was clear this was the news she had been waiting for. He turned back to the report in hopes that he could help put an end to her search for good when a certain detail made him freeze. "Whoa…"

"What, Kagura? What is it?" Rachel snapped to attention, practically climbing on the desk in excitement when she heard Kagura's reaction.

Slowly, Kagura turned away from his screen and looked Rachel in the eye.

"He asked about you."

She was out in the city before Kagura could say another word. She didn't need to hear anything more.

Floating in the sky over the city of Yabiko, Rachel was not sure where she would start her search but it no longer mattered.

He was out there. He was looking for her.

And at long last she would know the truth.

* * *

 **Home stretch, people.**

 **Thanks for reading, and review if you like.**


	8. I'm Here

**I do not own BlazBlue.**

* * *

"Now here's what ya do, kid," Jubei began. "Ya gotta cook yer steak medium rare so it's nice 'n moist with a little extra flavor. Then, to enhance the juiciness 'n bring out the savory 'n sweet flavors, ya add sweet things. Get yerself ingredients like brown sugar, tomatoes, onions, some real mild spices 'n maybe a few touches of fruit—think somethin' like caramelized pineapple. That, right there, is how ya have the best steak of yer life!"

"Hmm… Not gonna lie, Jubei, I'm not big on sweetness." Ragna replied.

"Eh? What're you thinkin' then?"

"Well, I think I would go for making it well done so it's still firm but has just enough moisture so I can still taste the sauce I baste it in, right? Honestly I'd probably go for using a mix of vinegar, peppers, only a little sugar and a lot of kinda spicy stuff. I figure this way you can complement the taste of the meat without taking away from the flavor." Ragna explained.

"Ahh, ya don't know yer ass from a hole in the ground." Jubei waved the idea off, which made Ragna laugh.

"Alright, if you say so. I'll take your word on it."

Not that Jubei would know, but the two have had this conversation a number of times. Despite Ragna being the cat's student in cooking as much he was in fighting, they didn't always have the same taste in food. Ragna remembers butting heads with his master regarding meat dishes in particular considering they were his favorite. Still, Ragna savored having this discussion one more time.

It was the last time he was going to have it, after all.

The pair got to talking about food when they were on the train, and after ditching it to travel on foot, they got to talking about cooking seeing as they shared the hobby. Their walk through the forest was filled with conversation centered around preparing different dishes and swapping recipes and such—which Ragna could not be more grateful for. Even if it wasn't for long, it did wonders for his mood to get his mind off his current situation. Being able to clear out his more negative thoughts allowed him to calm himself down and regain his control in full. Not like it was going to matter for much longer, but Ragna was certainly pleased he wouldn't have to put up with that damn beast pestering him. He certainly did not want to have that thing plaguing him around Jubei, all things considered.

Ragna especially didn't want it around after realizing where they were heading. He hadn't thought much about where Jubei's goal was, but it didn't take long for the woods they were walking through to look familiar.

There was no way he wasn't going to recognize the forest he spent his teenage years in, right?

The haunting trauma that preceded those days aside, Ragna did manage to enjoy himself back then. Learning to fight gave him such a rush, and his lessons in cooking were legitimately fun. He certainly never expected to bond with Jubei the way he did. After what Terumi did to him, he didn't think there would ever be anyone he could call family again. Ragna had never been so happy to be wrong.

And, of course, there was Rachel.

Things had a rocky start between them—from Ragna's point of view, anyway.

He could remember being really short with her at the start. He was such an angry kid, with good reason no doubt, but that meant a playful attitude like Rachel's rubbed him the wrong way at first. In his head, it was like she was making light of his situation. If he could go back, he would probably smack kid him in the back of the head and tell him he had better be thankful. Rachel was the only levity Ragna's young life had, and it was her personality that kept him from getting lost in his rage. The little breaks she would make him take, the silly games she would challenge him to do, and her gentle encouragement masked as teasing made all the difference.

Ragna really wished he could have acknowledged Rachel's efforts so much sooner. When he was a kid, before he even realized it, he had grown to cherish her company. He even had trouble sleeping when she wasn't around for crying out loud. He was sure Rachel could tell how much he relied on her, but that didn't mean she didn't deserve to hear him say it.

Ragna palmed his face in frustration. He really couldn't take his mind off her anymore, could he? Even now when he was supposed to be resigned to disappearing.

"Hey, kid? Mind if I ask ya a somethin'?" Jubei questioned out of the blue.

"Hm? Oh, sure. What's up?"

"So, I thought I'd let ya get yer mind off what was botherin' ya 'n calm down a bit, but if ya wanna talk about whatever that was I'm all ears." Jubei offered.

Were it anyone else, Ragna would've just told them to mind their own damn business, but this was Jubei. He was always the one other person besides Rachel that Ragna had no problem talking to.

So he did.

"Well, if you're sure…" Ragna said with a sigh. "I've been trying to find this friend of mine for the last few days now. It's been a while since I saw her—more time than I thought, if that makes any sense. I've been doing everything I can to make my way back to her, but it…it's not looking like I can anymore."

"How do ya mean?"

"I tracked down some…mutual friends of ours and asked them for help, but…I keep hearing that no one has heard from her for months. Like, I'm talking almost a year here. I don't even know if she is still…"

The implication hung in the air, and Jubei didn't need to hear any more to get the picture.

"She important to ya, kid?" Jubei asked after chewing Ragna's words over.

"Yes… God, yes." Ragna nodded. "Hell, I wouldn't even know where to begin. We first met when I was a kid and she saved my life. Every day since then I knew that she was the one person I could count on no matter what. I put up with a lot of shit in my life, and screwed up twice as much on my own, but she always stuck around anyway. I don't have the slightest clue what I ever did to deserve her, and part of me really doesn't think I do. She's…she's my best friend. She means the world to me."

"Heh, sounds to me like she's more than just a friend to ya, Ragna." Jubei chuckled.

The image of Rachel's smiling face popped up in Ragna's mind. He could hear her laugh.

Thoughts on their last moments together, and the feeling it gave him in his chest lingered especially.

"Yeah… I think you're on to something, old man." Ragna smiled softly.

"Mmhmm, I had a feelin'." Jubei nodded before coming to a stop. "We're here, by the way."

He didn't need the reminder, but seeing what was left of his old home always gave him pause.

The remains of that church held a very ominous look to him for obvious reasons.

Yet Ragna knew he was going to have to play dumb. Not like this would be a significant location to more than a couple of people.

"So, what is this place supposed to be?" Ragna asked.

"Well… It's the home of some of my family. What's left of it, anyway. And… Sorry if this ends up bringin' the mood down." Jubei spoke softly as he made his way forward.

Ragna knew this place was important to his master, but what he did not know was what he had specifically come back for. It wasn't like he had anywhere else to be, though, so Ragna didn't bother pressing Jubei on the issue and followed wordlessly. The two made their way up the slight incline of the hill that stood behind the remains of the church. Once near the top of the hill, Ragna stopped dead in his tracks despite Jubei continuing his advance.

He wasn't expecting to see a pair of crosses waiting for them at the top.

"This is…" Ragna muttered to himself.

"These here belong to my wife 'n sister-in-law." Jubei spoke up after catching Ragna's words. "They both passed some time ago. I try 'n make my way over here every once in a while to pay my respects."

"I got ya… Sorry to hear it." Ragna offered his condolences.

"Thanks, kid. I appreciate that." Jubei said as he stopped in front of the crosses and pressed his paws together.

"Would you mind if I join you? I'd like to pay my respects too if it's okay with you."

"Heh, not at all, Ragna." Jubei gave a smile over his shoulder.

With a nod, Ragna strode forward and stopped next to the old cat—mimicking his actions by pressing his hands together. Jubei gave Ragna another small grin before closing his eye and bowing his head. Ragna followed suit even though he wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to do. He may have been raised in a church, be he hardly knew the first thing about this kind of stuff.

He figured best not to force it and just think about what Nine and Celica meant to him.

Things were pretty muddied up at the end there, but Ragna still couldn't help but respect Nine in a way. She may have made a lot of mistakes, but with everything said and done, no one would have survived without her help back in the Dark War. That, and they were so similar, Ragna would feel pretty hypocritical if he were to hate her completely. As for Celica, well, it was actually kind of funny to him, Ragna would have to admit. The young version he got to meet was a good kid. Too naive and a bit overbearing, but she meant well. The grown woman who raised him, though, he had nothing but warm feelings for. If Jubei was like a father to him, then that Celica was without a doubt his mother.

No matter how things went, no matter where they were, Ragna just knew he wished them both the best.

Jubei releasing a breath, jostling Ragna from his thoughts. Popping an eye open, Ragna watched as Jubei relaxed his arms and took a step back—taking that as his cue to do the same.

"Thanks for doin' that, Ragna. It's real kind of ya to take the time like that for a couple of strangers." Jubei said.

"You know I could say the same to you, Jubei. You're welcome though." Ragna replied.

"Hm, right." Jubei hummed as he made his way down the hill with Ragna. "I gotta say, I know ya came along all on yer own, but I am sorry if I kept ya from anything."

"Nah, I had nothing else going on. Really." Ragna said knowing full well his little visit home was nearing its end.

"That's good then… Oh hey, would ya look at that." Jubei pointed at the horizon just as the first hint of the sunrise could be seen. "How about you 'n me sit down and I can teach ya a thing or two about breakfast as well?"

"Yeah, whatever you say, old man." Ragna chuckled. He might just let Jubei take care of things this time for real. He could think of plenty of things that would make a worse last meal than his master's cooking for sure.

"Sounds good, ya brat. Sit down 'n help me make a fire, would ya?"

"You're the boss."

Between the two experts, it really didn't take all that long for Ragna and Jubei to have things set up and going. Jubei explained to Ragna that part of the reason he stopped off in Yabiko was to restock on supplies. After they got the fire going, Jubei unpacked some bread, eggs and even bacon. With breakfast underway, both Ragna and Jubei sat back to relax and watch the fire. Ragna couldn't help but think back to all the times he and his master camped out like this and smile. He really couldn't thank Jubei enough for everything he had done for him…

He only wished he could tell him as much one last time.

"So, kid, about that situation of yours…" Jubei spoke up. "Far be it for me to tell ya what to do, but I don't think you should give up so easy."

"Think so?" Ragna asked, but couldn't really take it to heart. The person with the best chance to reach Rachel said it wasn't happening, so what chance would he have?

"You bet I do. So long as ya don't have the evidence to know for sure one way or the other, there is always hope. Heck, I'd even be willin' to help ya however I can." Jubei offered.

"That's…nice of you, but you don't have to worry about it." Ragna said.

"C'mon, kid, I mean what I said. Sure, I'm only one man, but never hurts to have another set of eyes—uh, eye out lookin', right? I travel 'round a whole lot, too. Who knows, I might get lucky."

"Well…" Ragna had been avoiding this conversation in all honesty. He went out with Jubei to try and clear his mind before returning to his sleep. If he had to hear one last time that no one has seen a trace of Rachel for whatever amount of time he would just feel miserable.

"Ya know I ain't wrong, kid. So, let's go, spill it. Tell me a bit about yer girl." Jubei insisted.

"Alright, fine already… Jeez." Ragna sighed. He might have been pretty annoyed if he didn't know Jubei only meant well. Though it looked as though there would be no avoiding it now, Ragna told himself. It was time to bite the bullet. "So, she's short—only a bit taller than you, actually. She's got long, blonde hair that she keeps tied up with ribbons. The ribbons are easy to spot because they, um, they make her look like a rabbit. Her eyes are red, her skin is pale, and she basically only wears big dresses that look super poofy." Ragna quietly explained.

The more Ragna talked, the more Jubei visibly reacted as a result. By the end of the description, it was clear that Jubei knew who Ragna was talking about. However, the cat kept the information to himself for a moment, clearly processing the situation.

"Hey, uh, kid? Do ya think I could, um…do ya think I could get a name?" Jubei questioned.

Ragna hesitated as his voice caught in his throat. There was no getting around it once he said her name. He took a deep breath as he braced himself.

"It's Rachel… Rachel Alucard."

"Huh…" Jubei hummed. Ragna closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. Just another person who completely lost track of Rachel. "Well… I have to say I don't rightly know how ya know Rachel, all things considered, but she ain't dead. I actually saw her the other day."

Ragna remained silent, not exactly trusting what he heard.

He slowly opened his eyes and blinked, letting it all sink in.

He turned his head to face Jubei.

"…What?"

"Yeah, I can agree she ain't been around for a while, but I just ran into her while on my way here."

Now, Jubei was a seasoned warrior—once hailed as the most powerful being in the world, so one could not exactly catch him by surprise. Yet before he could even process what was happening, Ragna had practically tackled him and latched on to his shoulders.

"Are you serious!? She's okay!? She didn't look hurt or sick or anything!? Really!? Like, really, really!?" Ragna screamed frantically as he shook the poor cat back and forth.

"K-Kid! Ya gotta calm down! Relax!" Jubei's words weren't exactly doing the trick, which is why he followed them up with a swift smack to the side of Ragna's head.

"GAH!" Ragna toppled to the ground, but almost immediately rolled back to his feet. "S-Sorry! I-It's just that I thought she was dead and you say she's alive—that you SAW her and it's just a lot for me to hear, you know? You're the first person who saw her and I'm just excited and—"

"Ragna!" Jubei snapped, cutting off the former criminal. "Breathe."

"R-Right…" Ragna stuttered. He dropped back down to a sitting position and did as his master instructed. He really did need to calm himself down, he realized. It had been a long time since he freaked out like that. His heart was beating a mile a minute, but this time it was in a good way. He just felt so happy he could cry, because this was finally it. He could see Rachel! "Okay… Okay, I'm good now. Seriously though, what happened?" Ragna questioned as he eagerly leaned forward.

"So, like I was saying, I actually hadn't seen her for some time myself. Been about, oh, eight months or so? It seemed like she up 'n disappeared, which I guess is what gave ya the idea she was gone. Well, I ran into her basically by accident. I'll admit she was actin' a little weirder than usual, and she seemed pretty tired, but otherwise doin' fine. Said as much, too." Jubei explained.

A big smile broke out on Ragna's face before he even noticed. Rachel was okay, and she was the same weirdo he remembered her to be. It, of course, begged the question of why the hell she was ignoring him, but he simply couldn't get angry over it now.

"Jubei, do you think you can call her? Like, right now?" Ragna asked.

"About that…" Jubei's ears drooped. "I'm sorry, kid, but that ain't how it works between me 'n her. See, whenever Rachel 'n I met up over the years, it has always been on her terms. I got no idea if she'll hear me if I call."

"I…I understand, but please try. Everyone else who even had a chance to reach her already tried and it didn't work. You're the only one who has seen her, accident or not. You're my last chance, Jubei, so please…just try." Ragna pleaded.

Jubei eyed Ragna from his seat by the fire. He still had to wrap his mind around some stranger knowing Rachel so well. He has known the vampire ever since she was a child, but she had always been a recluse to say the least. She was good at dealing with people when she wanted to, but that was about it. It just didn't add up and yet at the same time, when he looked at Ragna, his gut told him it was okay to trust. Even so, he really didn't want to disappoint the guy…

"Alright, kid, but I ain't about to promise anything." And though Jubei wasn't the most confident, Ragna still jumped back to his feet nodding enthusiastically.

"It's fine, don't worry about it! And thanks, Jubei!"

"Well, don't go thankin' me just yet…" The old cat said as he too rose to his feet. He had never summoned Rachel before, so he had no idea how to go about doing it. If she were listening, and that was a big if, he supposed all he had to do was call out. "Hey, uh, Rachel! It's Jubei! Um…think ya got a second? I got a friend of yers here who's real eager to see ya! So, uh, ya mind droppin' by? Please?"

Jubei's voice echoed across the valley and Ragna didn't dare take a breath. This was the part where a little gust of wind would kick up, the smell of roses would fill the area, and that haughty little vampire would be standing there demanding to know what she was called for. He would have to remind himself not to tackle her and yell his head off about making him worry so much.

However, after the seconds evolved into a full minute, it was clear she wasn't going to show.

Jubei's ears dropped once again as the only sound that could be heard was the crackling of the fire. Ragna responded in a similar way as his arms went limp and he starred at the sky with an empty expression. Jubei opened his mouth to apologize to Ragna and maybe brainstorm an alternative…

But Ragna had other ideas.

"Goddamn it, Rachel!" Ragna screamed at the top of his lungs. Jubei spun around to face Ragna after having to recover from a borderline heart attack to see pure anger on the man's face. His eyes were wild, he was grinding his teeth, and Jubei thought he could even see a vein popping out in his forehead. It was clear Ragna's patience was at an end. "So, this is how it works, huh!? You stick to me like a leech for years and just because I go away for a little bit and you stop talking to me all together!? Is that what this is!? The cold shoulder!? Ain't that a little immature sense you're, like, a billion!?" Ragna snarled, stomping around and waving his arms like a madman. "Well listen up, woman, because this is your last chance to drag your frilly, gothic ass out here before I punch my way into your damn castle! You hearing me, Rachel!? RACHEL!"

Ragna's yell reverberated all over the valley and back—causing a flock of birds to fly off and surely scare a great deal of wildlife off for miles. If he wasn't totally out of breath he would probably keep yelling, but instead he was stuck gasping for air. Yet as far as he could see, it was still wasted effort. There was no gust of wind, no scent of roses, and certainly no vampire he cared about more than anything else in the whole world staring down her nose at him.

He dropped down to his knees and lowered his head. He had to ask himself, now what? Was he just stuck waiting for someone to accidentally run into her again and just hope word would travel back to him? Could he possibly find a way to infiltrate her castle? The thought of only being able to see Rachel by chance made his stomach turn.

"Hey, kid?" Jubei's voice called out softly.

Ragna looked up at the cat to see what he wanted, but only saw Jubei smiling and pointing forward. Ragna glanced back over his shoulder and felt his heart stop when he saw the familiar little silhouette standing atop a hill against the sunrise.

"Rachel…"

He was off and running without another word. He tripped once, but practically flew up the hill otherwise. Skidding to a stop mere feet away from Rachel, Ragna lurched forward and had no choice but to catch his breath. Still, it only took him a couple seconds and he straightened up to look at Rachel. Seeing her again instantly put a smile on his face. However, when he looked at her, she only gazed back at him with wide eyes and her mouth slightly agape.

The clear look of confusion.

Rachel's only response was to blink, as she took in Ragna's full appearance. Her eyes were drawn to the sword attached at his hip. So it really was with him all along, Rachel noted. She couldn't help but notice everything else was a perfect match as well. He had the white hair, the large stature, the two-colored eyes… He was undoubtedly the man from her dreams.

"…Rachel?" Ragna spoke as he leaned forward slightly.

She flinched when she heard the man speak her name again. The voice was even the same too. Her sensitive ears first picked up on it when she was drifting away from Yabiko down the rails. Kagura had mentioned that the man was close to a train station, so she considered the chances her quarry left the city were quite high. She was right, as it would turn out. At first she believed her mind was playing another trick on her, but when the familiar voice continued screaming, she flew toward it without a second thought.

Now she stood before the owner of the sword, the man of her dreams, and yet…

"Do you…know me?" Was all she could ask.

That one question, those four words, hit him harder than Azrael or Terumi or whoever could have ever hoped to.

Ragna had pushed the possibility from his mind almost immediately once the reality of his situation hit him back in Ibukido. He told himself that things would be different with Rachel. He reasoned that her powers as an Observer would make her an exception. She would remember him for sure, he had repeatedly told himself. Now he just told himself he should've known. It was this way with everyone else, and it was the same with her.

Rachel did not remember him.

"Y-Yeah…I do." Ragna's voice cracked as rubbed his face with his right hand.

Rachel could hear the sadness in his voice. She felt as though she could read this man like a book despite not having a single recollection of him. The gesture he was doing right now even seemed familiar—pressing his hand to his face and turning away. Something told her that he always did that whenever he was having trouble controlling his emotions and wanted to calm himself.

His looks, the voice, the sword, the wild throbbing in her heart… It was all there.

She had to know.

"Tell me your name." Rachel's own voice felt shaky as she spoke. Ragna looked at her between his fingers, but said nothing. "Please… Your name?"

It was her tone that gave him pause. It was so different than she ever sounded to him before. So unsure, hesitant, and not a trace of the confidence she had since the very first day he met her. It made his chest tight and want to ask what was wrong… But she asked her question first.

He took his hand away from his face and looked Rachel directly in the eye.

"I'm Ragna... Ragna the Bloodedge."

She was in front of the remains of the church, but it wasn't during sunrise. It was raining and there was a boy on the ground before her. He was unmoving and his right arm was missing. He looked up at her and she could see hatred in his eyes, but also a will to live just as strong. She would grant his request.

Time passed in front of the remains of that church. She watched the boy grow. She watched as he learned the art of battle, how he gained control over a dreadful power, and learned what it meant to survive no matter how harsh the world around him was. She watched the boy become a man and set out into the world.

She watched that man face countless struggles head on. She watched him die countless times, and felt as though she herself perished with him each and every time. Yet he never gave up. He continued to rise and in time whether it was an army or monster or god, he would be victorious. She felt her heart swell as he fought on, undeterred, and found the strength inside her to fight on as well.

Day in and day out, they spent so much time together, and she had never been happier.

And then they said goodbye.

What she believed would be his final words rang in her head.

"Sorry, I'll be going on ahead. Thank you for everything. This is goodbye…"

And in that moment, feeling so warm in his arms, she lost consciousness and everything unraveled.

"Ragna… You're Ragna…"

Ragna didn't respond as he stood there, utterly unsure what to do with himself. If Rachel didn't know him, he had no idea where he could possibly go now.

"Ragna… Do, do you have any idea how long you've kept me waiting? Y-You miserable...dog!"

Ragna blinked and slowly looked back up at Rachel after hearing her say something so familiar. Despite her words she had tears streaming down her face, and possibly the biggest smile he had ever seen her make.

"Rachel? You…you really remember me?" Ragna questioned.

"As if I could ever forget." Rachel laughed for what had to be the first time in months.

She moved first, her feet leaving the ground as she threw herself at Ragna, and his open arms were there to catch her. Her momentum made Ragna spin in place and he had to steady himself before coming to a stop. She wrapped both of her arms around his neck and buried her face in the crook of his neck as he held her up with his left arm and used his right to cradle her head. Both now freely had tears streaming down their faces, but smiles to match as well.

"Dammit, rabbit… You got any idea how fucking worried you had me?"

"Please, Ragna, tell me this is no dream. That this is really you—that you came back to me." Rachel's voice was muffled, as she refused to loosen her grip on Ragna.

"It's me, Rachel, so stop crying already… I mean, you're making me cry here!" Ragna removed his hand from Rachel's head to wipe his eyes.

"I-I can't… I'm just happy!" Rachel giggled as she leaned back to look at Ragna, still beaming.

"Well, what did you think? That I was really going to leave you out?" Ragna asked, looking Rachel in the eye. Before Rachel could question what he meant, Ragna grinned. "I ran around seeing everyone's dreams to make sure I could do my best to make them happy… I said I saw yours too, remember? And you and me? We were the only ones left."

The implication was not lost on Rachel.

"Oh, Ragna!" Rachel's voice cracked as she nuzzled her head into Ragna and squeezed him with all of her might. To be with Ragna once again in the world she loved was what she dreamed of for so long, and Ragna made it reality. Just as she always knew he would. "This… This is all I could ever want. Thank you so much, Ragna. Thank you for everything."

Ragna copied Rachel's actions, and knew he was going to have a hard time making himself ever let go of her again as he held her tight. Finally, it felt like it was truly over, and everything he went through was paid off in full.

At the start of his journey, Ragna was promised nothing but pain and hardship. All of those years ago, on the same hill he stood now, Rachel had sadly promised him hell. It surely was, he could not say it was anything but, and yet through it all Ragna kept his word. No matter how bad things got, he never quit fighting. He had stumbled and made mistakes along the way, but Rachel was always there to pick him back up with her unwavering faith. She knew he would never give up, nor would he lose sight of his humanity. He kept his promise to her. He fought to the very end, and he won. With Rachel by his side, Ragna had truly done it.

He made it to hell and back.

* * *

 **And there it is. I hope everyone enjoyed my first fic. As always, review if you have anything on your mind.**

 **But out of curiosity, do you wish this fic was longer? Well, good news, it is! I had actually planned a little epilogue for this epilogue. Even better, my editor and friend Murder Media is generous enough to do the writing on this one. I provided the storyboard, but they will be the one to really make it shine. If you wanna see this story through to completion, then absolutely check it out. As BlazBlue fans we all know how important true endings are, right?**

 **I will be making a post about it on my profile once it is up, or if you frequent the section, just keep an eye out for it. I would also be happy to let anyone know if they would like to PM me.**

 **While I'm here, I would also like to give one final thanks to Murder Meida as well. I would have never started writing without them.**

 **Anyway, one more time, thank you for taking the time to read.**


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